MHWSW | Chapter 004

Chapter 4

“Alright, you two handle it. I’ll just take care of myself.”

“Of course! Don’t worry about us, just start climbing.”

“Yes, please do.”

The two said this and began moving first, carrying the heavy luggage. Even with their great strength, the luggage slowed their steps, so they started walking ahead. Their massive, bear-like bodies left light footprints on the ground. I was slightly surprised by how easily they moved with such heavy loads.

As I watched Riel and Arin leave first, Mary finally lowered her hands from my clothing and spoke.

“My lady, we should start climbing now.”

“Mary, wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

Mary looked confused by my words. I ignored her expression and glanced at the family’s headquarters.

Part of my plan was there.

Before leaving, I had ordered one of my loyal followers to keep watch over the family. If it had been someone else, I might have felt uneasy before departing, but the one who received my order was a follower who could never betray me, my secret weapon that even my father didn’t know about.

That was Kob, my secret weapon.

‘I hope Kob succeeds in his mission.’

Kob was a magical creature in the form of a raven, a gift my mother secretly left me before her death.

And now, he was hiding in my father’s office.

‘Now that I think about it, did my mother foresee all this?’

That I would need a completely trustworthy ally when facing my father.

When I recall, Kob wasn’t raised within the family. My mother had entrusted him to a place she knew, where he was hidden, and I would meet him whenever I trained in the small forest near the family’s grounds.

I didn’t find it strange at the time, but perhaps my mother anticipated a day like this would come.

‘I told him to inform me through the magic stone if anything happens.’

The magic stone was the only link between me and Kob, a device that allowed us to exchange signals even from a distance.

It was incredibly useful in such circumstances. Now that I had entrusted the monitoring of the family to Kob, it was my turn to execute my plan.

“Mary, let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The start was relatively smooth. No different from previous times. The weather was sunny and clearer than in other years.

“Maybe this won’t be as difficult as I expected.”

With that optimistic thought, I began climbing the mountain.

But it seems the Ruler had truly abandoned me.

Who would have thought I’d get lost?

And who would have thought I’d encounter a sheep living in the snowy mountain?

***

The easy part of climbing Mount Anlindri was over. Now, all that remained was to carefully walk along the cliff, follow the narrow gap, and slip away from the group when we reached a resting spot.

“By the way, the path today is particularly dangerous.”

If I misstepped and fell, I’d plummet straight down. But my companions, chatting about trivial matters and walking with ease, showed no tension, even though the dangerous path was right beneath their feet.

“My lady, doesn’t it feel refreshing to be out in the open like this?”

Mary’s voice came from behind me. I couldn’t help but laugh at her playful tone, like a puppy out for a walk.

“Yes, it’s nice to be out.”

“This is really great!”

I know. I know how much Mary has been watching my mood since that day. And that she’s now deliberately trying to talk to me more. I also know she’s been the only one giving me breathing room amid my frantic busyness since then.

‘How could I not notice?’

Listening to Mary’s cheerful laughter, I continued walking. A fork in the path was supposed to appear soon, but strangely, it didn’t. After the fork, there was always a resting spot where I planned to temporarily separate from the group.

“Riel, how far have we walked?”

Riel looked at the sun while I pulled out my pocket watch from my coat to check. I definitely felt something was off. Riel seemed to feel the same.

“We should have arrived by now.”

“Indeed, this is strange.”

It wasn’t the first time. Nature’s changes are uncontrollable, so paths often shifted due to landslides, heavy rain, or thick snow. That’s why the journey to Pyrotus’s nest takes a week.

Walking an unpredictable path. Even if I knew the way well, I sometimes had to search aimlessly until I found the right path.

Sigh.

It was a moment when a sigh escaped instinctively. I needed to save as much time as possible. It seemed nothing was going my way.

‘If nothing goes as I want, I wish at least my partner would obey me.’

Ah.

A fleeting thought.

Instead of a half-breed with bad rumors, I wanted a kind partner who would follow my words. It wasn’t a good thought while heading to propose a political marriage to another family.

‘It’s just my wish.’

Because I had already given up on that path.

A voice interrupted my thoughts.

“It looks like we need to turn back, my lady.”

It was Riel, whose forehead had been furrowed since we realized the path was wrong.

“Alright, let’s rest in a suitable spot today.”

Everyone except me nodded seriously and cautiously, then turned carefully. The path was so narrow that we could only walk in single file.

And at that moment, while everyone was thinking either of resting or slipping away, something happened.

It happened in an instant.

Thud-thud-thud!

The ground, stable when Riel, Arin, and Mary crossed it, completely collapsed the moment I stepped on it. The exact spot where I stood. As if someone had done it on purpose.

With the ground collapsing right beneath my feet, I could do nothing. What use are quick reflexes? When you fall from a cliff, your body freezes and can’t do anything.

My companions turned back belatedly at the sound of the collapse, their eyes wide open, reaching out to grab me. Even at the risk of falling themselves, they extended their hands with desperate urgency.

But by the time they reached out, it was too late.

“My lady!”

A piercing scream, two thick hands reaching toward me, and Mary’s tearful face with her dog-like ears visible were the last things I saw as they faded. I could no longer feel my hands or feet. The only sensation left was the sound of Riel, Arin, and Mary shouting my name.

I couldn’t guess the height of the cliff; I was falling endlessly. I closed my eyes unconsciously.

‘The Ruler definitely hates me.’

That’s why things like this happen. Who said misfortunes come all at once?

But I never imagined the end of this misfortune would be my death. I had always trained to kill my opponent before they could kill me, and I was always prepared for that.

Perhaps that’s why. To face death in a moment when no one was trying to kill me.

My consciousness began to fade.

Before I reached the bottom, everything sank into darkness.

***

Chirring!

I heard a bird’s sound, as if I’d heard it before. A familiar sound, but I couldn’t recall it. As I pondered how distinctive it was, I heard other voices along with the bird’s sound.

“When will she wake up?”

“Hmm, isn’t it just that she can’t open her eyes yet?”

“Ah… I’ll go change my clothes quickly.”

“Explain it well to our master!”

It wasn’t a soft voice; it was low, and if it weren’t shy, I’d have thought it was masculine. With the firm tone at the end, I slowly opened my eyes.

Night or day? At first, the bright artificial light hurt my eyes, so I closed them again.

‘It seems I’m still alive.’

Because of the throbbing pain in my ankle. If that pain weren’t there, I would have believed without a doubt that this was the afterlife. No ordinary person could survive a fall from that height.

‘It’ll be hard to walk. What about my plan…?’

Could I go on with this body?

I couldn’t even open my eyes properly, so how could I move? But I didn’t have time to stay lying down. If I returned to the family like this without doing anything, I’d have to go through with the political marriage to the Regulus family as my father wanted.

‘That will never happen.’

Impossible. Even if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to reach the Snow Leopard family across this mountain. Even if my injuries worsened and I died on the way, I had no other choice.

A sense of defeat washed over me.

‘If I had been more careful!’

My plan wouldn’t have failed. The hopes I had painstakingly built crumbled into despair. Before I completely sank into despair.

‘Maybe there’s still a way.’

I steadied my mind. If I still had time, I could continue my plan.

So, for now, the most important thing was to understand my situation. Gradually, my eyes adjusted to the light, and my surroundings became clear.

A medium-sized cabin, well-organized. There were decorations made of glowing stones everywhere.

Glowing stones were rare minerals that emitted light on their own. They were highly coveted for their radiance.

‘Who owns this cabin?’

Then I wondered. Who owned this cabin, decorated with these rare stones as if they were ordinary ornaments?

‘I need to get up and assess the situation.’