LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 19
As if Hunter Drake’s attack was a signal, numerous assaults continued while they headed towards Felwinter Ridge.
Monsters and animals either preparing for winter or coincidentally crossing paths. And similarly, the bandits and barbarian tribes also preparing for winter.
Iceland might be barren, but a variety of life existed, except for intelligent beings like bandits and barbarians (humans, dwarfs, elves, etc.) who barely overlapped.
Among them, Karem spotted animals he had never even considered.
PwooOOOOO-!
“…Is that a mammoth? Isn’t it?”
“Oh, I know mammoths for sure! They’re famous even in other regions.”
In his past life, mammoths had long been extinct thousands of years ago, leaving only a minuscule part of their gene code frozen in glaciers and the fossils of herbivorous grazers that made the vast steppe between Asia and Europe.
A gigantic mammoth, covered in rich, brown fur that likely towered over three meters at shoulder height. It seemed to weigh several tons, with tusks thick and large, gleaming menacingly in the sunlight.
Both knights and soldiers, who had until now dispatched countless enemies, were visibly tense. After all, they were facing one of the powerful tyrants ruling Iceland’s wilds.
“Elder Iona. Is it normal for mammoths to descend this far in autumn?”
“It seems autumn is indeed arriving a little early this year.”
“Given the absence of a herd nearby and its relatively small size, it appears to be a male. Its fur and tusks indicate that it’s quite old…”
Catherine quickly assessed their strength based on her experiences. The calculations came swiftly.
In conclusion, they could sufficiently repel it. That was why the knights were there.
However, unlike their previous skirmishes where they faced minor injuries, it was clear that the losses among the soldiers and warriors would be significant.
Even Iona, who had maintained her composure until now, wiped her cold sweat after arriving at the same conclusion as Catherine.
“Sir Atanitas. It seems you’ll need to lend your strength once again.”
“With this troop, it’s unrealistic to defeat it without any losses. Naturally.”
Catherine uncrossed her arms and moved her fingers. Karem, standing right next to her, felt the biting cold wind scrape against his skin, even though he applied oil to keep warm.
Pwooooooo-!
The mammoth, approaching the guiding procession with quick strides, sensed a change in the situation.
Its eyes sparkled with hostility, and its threatening trumpet sound rang in Karem’s ears like an announcement of impending attack, which was accurate.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud-!
It charged at half the speed of a galloping horse. But due to its massive size, it swiftly closed the distance, almost appearing the size of a watermelon.
“Uh, Sir Atanitas? Are you still preparing?”
“I’m watching. It’s almost done.”
Wait—Ah, it’s finished.
Catherine, clutching the chill in both hands, swung her arms as if crossing them. And the cold aura emanating from her disappeared.
Uh, suddenly? What just happened? Karem’s question was quickly resolved.
Suddenly, dozens of ice chains formed a U-shape on the ground, trapping the mammoth at the front of their formation. The ends of the chains bore icicles as large as an adult’s upper body, all pointing in one direction.
Chrrr—Clang!
Just as the mammoth entered the range and began to comprehend the situation, the ice chains tightened around it with a fierce friction noise, resembling a cannon being fired. Iona was astonished by what she witnessed.
To cast such magic so swiftly without potions, mediums, or incantations. Was this why the Duke of Iceland would not tolerate indignities and sent him personally?
Crack-crack—Clang!
While Iona pondered this, the mammoth emitted a trumpet sound filled with shock and fury, struggling fiercely against its bindings. Although some chains shattered under its strength, an even greater number tightened around it.
Unable to withstand the binding, the mammoth finally staggered, and the knightly riders sprang into action. The situation was resolved without any casualties. As Karem gaped at the scene, Catherine, having lowered her arms, lightly tapped his shoulder.
“Hey, kid. Why are you zoning out?”
“That was amazing magic! Wow! Those chains are insane!”
Unable to form coherent sentences, Karem was overwhelmed by pure admiration, and Catherine’s mood seemed to brighten, her lips curling into a smile. She adjusted her disheveled cloak and waved her hand.
“What of it? This is something even other sages can do. If you can’t do this, you might as well give up on magic.”
“Do they all do it the same way?”
“Well, the attributes are different, but that’s about it. It also partly depends on the environment and season.”
“Environment? Season? Ah.”
Karem connected the dots.
Just twice. No, three times.
Those were the instances Catherine had showcased magic before him.
The forms varied, but all three had a definitive commonality.
Freezing flesh and sinew, crafting ice spears, creating bundles of ice chains—all based around ice. Just as Karem surmised, she was indeed most adept at ice magic, and naturally, her powers peaked during the freezing winter.
Moreover, this place, Iceland, was the coldest region of the Kingdom of Seophone. Others would gasp, claiming it wasn’t winter here during spring or autumn.
As Karem mused about this, Catherine nodded in agreement when suddenly the procession’s commander, Sir Hyphon, approached.
“Elder Iona. We have no choice but to…”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Yes. Given its size and the time it would take to butcher it…”
“Ohhh. That’s really disappointing.”
Catherine’s convincing led Iona to genuinely lick her lips, mirroring sincere regret.
So disappointing. Extremely disappointing.
Mammoths only inhabited areas like Iceland in the northern parts of the Europa continent. Furthermore, due to their size and overwhelming strength, hunting them was quite challenging, but their incredible taste and benefits drew many who would pay generously to acquire them.
Perhaps that was why the competition was fierce, and prices were high, making mammoths one of Iceland’s crucial exports. Thus, even Iona could barely afford to have it a few times a year.
Of course, this was still at least double what other nobles consumed.
Consequently, Elder Iona truly felt regret. If only she could regularly indulge in such delicacies as a chance to replenish her body.
Catching onto her fervor, Karem eagerly inquired, “Elder! Is mammoth meat really that delicious?”
“Oh, Karem! You’re still young, but as a cook, your curiosity about ingredients is impressive.”
As the topic of interest came up, Elder Iona excitedly began speaking, as if she were someone who had starved on a strict diet and suddenly bit into a chicken.
The most delicious part is the tenderloin attached to the rib, slowly roasted with butter at a low temperature until soft. Stacking it with the intensified taste, aroma, and fat—exploiting the flavors ten times over from the fattened cow reserved solely for eating began a near-rapturous description.
Iona lost track of time while enthusiastically detailing the taste of mammoth meat, alternating between awe and regret. Her descriptive prowess felt like food porn translated into words.
Caught up in the vivid imagery, Karem couldn’t regain his composure as Hyphon appeared increasingly awkward, prompting Catherine to step in.
“Ahem! Elder Iona. Apologies for interrupting amidst your regret but…”
“Oh, Sir Atanitas. My apologies. I lost track of the situation in my sadness.”
“Given you’ve mentioned that winter seems to be arriving a bit early, shouldn’t we move on?”
“Ah, it seems the situation is all settled. Let’s depart.”
Unlike Elder Iona, who had her heart set on mammoth meat, the others in the procession couldn’t hide their disappointment as Karem was still unaware of the delicacy.
There was no helping it. They would have to settle for merely taking some fur.
Upon concluding their arrangements, the procession continued past the massive mammoth, which lay dead and bound in ice chains.
Though aged, the mammoth was still a dominant force in Iceland.
The air still carried a scent of its blood, deterring the frequented attacks by monsters and beasts, significantly reducing their numbers.
Thus, the procession felt relatively pleasant compared to before.
After several days of resupplying across various villages and outposts belonging to other nobles, they finally entered Felwinter Ridge. While they journeyed on, Sir Hyphon knocked on the wagon’s window.
“We’re nearing Coldon.”
“Ohh. Yes. Please keep up the good work until the end.”
Reaching Felwinter Ridge was merely a precursor.
“Sir Atanitas. You stated that the Duke’s castle was our destination, correct?”
Catherine nodded affirmatively while focusing on the mysterious scrolls endlessly pouring from her cloak.
“Fortunately, we should arrive before sundown. Over there.”
Karem looked outside the window.
A grand, elongated castle appeared to be the Duke’s residence, with the inner castle large enough to easily house several Bordersters. The outer castle appeared even larger.
Surrounding the outer castle’s walls was a sprawling village, meeting the crops that had just been harvested.
If Karem had thought the Borderster he first saw resembled a city, the one before him was undoubtedly a colossal city by modern standards.
Thus, the end of their frigid journey approached.
Karem arrived at Coldon, the capital of Iceland and the largest city in the north.