CHAPTER 57………………………………
. In the Grimgarr Forest
“Be honest with me.”
Günter spoke gravely, his tone serious.
“Are you really sure there’s nothing between you two?”
“For the last time—there’s nothing!”
It was already the fiftieth time he’d asked the same question.
No one could blame me for snapping.
And yet, even knowing that…
“…Really?”
He asked again, pointlessly.
I understood why.
When I turned my head slightly, sure enough—
Sirina Ice-Maker was staring holes straight through me.
“But why is she so… obsessed with you, then?!”
“…Believe me, I’m the one who wants to know that the most.”
“All this—putting us, the smallest unit, in the lead of the march—just to look at the back of your head? You expect me to believe you’re nothing to her?”
Günter’s face was full of pure bewilderment.
I couldn’t blame him.
No one understood Sirina’s behavior.
When we left Frostal, our group had been at the rear of the formation.
The largest family, the Stüben house, had taken the lead.
Röger and Drake had both wanted to lead, but Hartmann wouldn’t yield.
To take the lead meant facing the first wave of danger—and that meant a chance to show off your strength.
They were all eager to prove their worth in front of Sirina.
But then, out of nowhere, one of Ice-Maker’s soldiers came up to us.
“You are to move to the front.”
“What? Why us…?”
I’ll never forget the look on Günter’s face—it was like his brain had just crashed.
“By Lady Sirina’s order.”
Even the soldier delivering the message looked confused.
This wasn’t an order that could be refused—not when it came directly from the Ice-Maker heiress herself.
Even Hartmann, who wanted to stay in her favor, couldn’t say no.
And so, we found ourselves leading the procession—and from that moment on, Sirina’s eyes never left me.
She didn’t even try to hide it.
Her gaze was so blatant that everyone around could tell who she was staring at.
That alone made the other lords seethe; I could feel their glares burning into my back.
…My neck’s going to have a hole in it at this rate.
Her stare was so sharp, it almost hurt.
“You sure are popular.”
“At this point, it’s got to be love at first sight.”
“Please, just shut up.”
Hogg and Ronan were snickering, clearly enjoying themselves.
Of course, I did have a hunch why she might be acting this way—
After what I’d done the previous night.
But from the way she was behaving, she clearly didn’t realize it was me.
If she did, she’d have confronted me on the spot.
So yes, that was… fortunate, I suppose.
But still—
“At this rate… the trip’s going to be a nightmare.”
I couldn’t help sighing.
The journey from Frostal to Icecrown took five days.
It wasn’t so much the distance as the sheer number of people slowing us down.
“In the cold north, camping outdoors takes more preparation. Nothing to be done about it,” Günter said.
He was right. With so many of us, setting up camp took forever.
On the second day, we entered the vast northern forest stretching between the two territories—
The Grimgarr Forest.
The largest woodland in the north, and every bit as grim as its name suggested.
A thick fog blanketed the area, refusing to lift. The northern sun was already weak, and the towering trees blocked what little light remained.
The whole forest seemed dyed in shades of gray.
There were barely any paths—just open space between trees, where people rarely passed.
But the real reason few dared cross Grimgarr wasn’t its size.
It was something else.
Thud… thud… thud…
A distant rumbling echoed, the ground trembling ever so slightly.
Branches shook violently, as if the forest itself were heaving.
At first, you might mistake it for the wind—but the experienced hunters knew better.
“It’s a Troll!”
“Protect Lady Sirina!”
“Confirm its distance and position!”
Röger barked out orders loud enough for everyone to hear.
And indeed, from beyond the trees, a grotesque face appeared.
A long, stretched-out face.
Tiny, jaundiced eyes.
A flaring nose that snorted ragged breaths.
Drool spilling from a mouth that couldn’t close because of protruding fangs.
Its shoulders slumped, yet its massive frame made bears look like puppies.
Arms so long they reached past its knees, gripping a club carved from stone.
Its skin was rough and ashen, like weathered rock, and veins bulged beneath layers of muscle.
“Grrrhhh—UUUURGH—!”
The troll lumbered forward, each step shaking the fog that clung to the ground.
And then—
Screeeech!
From around its feet, smaller monsters burst out from the mist.
Not just from the front—every direction.
“Gobloids!”
Northern variants of goblins—larger, with skin the same ashen color as the troll’s.
Their limbs were long, their weapons crude—bone knives, stone clubs, and spears whittled from wood.
“Hold the line!”
Hartmann’s armored soldiers moved in unison, their gear clanking as they formed a defensive wall.
“Eek!”
“Stay behind me, Günter!”
Hogg raised two shields, forming a sturdy barrier as he moved to protect him.
This was why no one traveled through Grimgarr.
Monsters.
Unlike the snowy mountains, here they still roamed freely—and often.
“I’ll clean this up,” Ronan said confidently, drawing his sword.
With a single fluid motion, he dashed forward.
His blade flashed—slash!—and the first gobloid was cut clean in half.
“Gyaaaah!”
The others howled and swarmed him.
But Ronan didn’t stop—he plunged right into their midst.
“Grrh…?”
Before they could react, he spun, his sword tracing a shining circle through the air.
Where the blade passed, flesh split and blood sprayed.
He stepped over the bodies without slowing down.
Then, with one powerful leap—
He charged the troll.
Röger and Hartmann both saw an opportunity.
They had chosen this forest route precisely to show off their strength—and now, with monsters attacking, their moment had come.
“Don’t let a single one through!”
Even without Hartmann’s order, his knights didn’t allow a single gobloid to breach the formation.
The creatures’ crude weapons couldn’t even scratch their armor.
Crunch.
They were crushed beneath steel boots—a one-sided slaughter.
“Fire!”
Röger’s troops unleashed their crossbows.
The hunters never missed—each bolt hit its mark, piercing gobloid skulls and torsos alike.
It wasn’t just those two houses, either.
“Ha ha ha! Kill them all!”
“Make sure none of them get back up!”
Drake’s Linbach soldiers split skulls with axes, while Bardot’s men skewered bodies with narrow spears and jagged blades.
Within moments, dozens of gobloids lay dead.
The survivors hesitated, then began to retreat.
Seizing the lull, Röger hurried over to Sirina.
“Are you unharmed, my lady?”
“Don’t make a fuss, Röger.”
Hartmann clanked forward in his heavy armor.
“No monster came within ten paces of her.”
“She might still be shaken. Don’t twist my concern into something else.”
Even as they bickered, Sirina’s gaze never left the front.
Not on the knights or soldiers fighting—
But on him, the arrogant blond man just standing there, unmoving.
Her expression darkened slightly.
“Guron.”
At Hartmann’s call, his knight stepped forward.
“You’ll slay that troll.”
…Alone?
Röger blinked, stunned.
He himself had killed trolls before—but that was hunting: setting traps, poisoning them to weaken their regeneration, finishing them off from afar.
To take one head-on with a sword? Not impossible—but far from easy.
None of his soldiers could manage it.
But Hartmann’s tone left no room for doubt.
“Wash away the shame of your last defeat.”
“I accept your command.”
Guron raised his sword and advanced toward the troll.
He, too, was eager to redeem himself.
Last time, he hadn’t used any of his magical sigils.
But now, empowered by Hartmann’s support, five glowing marks burned along his arm—each one containing potent enchantments.
If he used them all, he could—
“…Huh?”
Before he could even activate a spell, a brilliant blue light flared ahead.
Bronze.
His sword blazed with a blinding azure glow, a gust of wind swirling around him.
“GRRRAAAARGH—!”
The troll roared, raising its massive stone club.
Don’t be fooled by its size—it was fast.
Anyone who underestimated that speed was long dead.
WHOOOSH!
The club fell in an instant.
…It’s over, Guron thought triumphantly.
No matter how many sigils Bronze had, there was no way he could block that strike.
At best, he’d dodge—and that would be Guron’s cue to strike.
CRACK.
“…What?”
A fissure ran through the troll’s stone club.
Guron blinked in disbelief.
Then—BOOM!
The club shattered, blue light exploding outward.
Fragments scattered as the azure glow shot skyward.
SHRAAAK!
The blue blade sliced through the troll’s massive body.
Each swing sent out arcs of light that branched like tree limbs—
And wherever they touched, flesh split open.
Not even the troll’s famed regeneration could keep up.
“GRRAAA—AAAGHH—!”
Its final roar dissolved into a gurgle as its body was torn apart.
When the last flash of blue scattered, the giant creature collapsed with a thunderous thud.
Boom.
In its place remained only a shimmering trace—like a tree of light, sparkling faintly like snowflakes.
Everyone stood frozen, mesmerized by the sight.
And then—
“…Ah.”
Sirina let out a quiet whisper.
“It’s beautiful.”
