LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 25
Snow started to fall in Coldon.
It wasn’t particularly unusual for snow to fall. In Iceland, even in summer, there were occasional flurries.
But now, even before winter officially arrived, the sky began to pour down blinding snow, causing people of all ranks in Coldon to rush about cursing their bad luck.
The rugged locals of Iceland were extremely sensitive to the weather, with the elders’ long experience crying out to them:
“This winter is going to be long.”
Nobles and commoners, inner and outer castles, even the people of the dukedom were hurriedly preparing for what lay ahead.
Some were already pulling out all kinds of tools, from shovels to pots, to start clearing the snow.
As everyone in Coldon grumbled in unison, Catherine, a member of the Subjugation Team, had long since escaped the city.
Carrying out the ruler of Iceland’s orders, the subjugation team crossed the snow-laden plains, with sleds, wagons, soldiers, and support personnel all in tow.
Thanks to being in the wagon with Catherine as her personal servant, Karem enjoyed relative comfort.
But inside, he was profoundly uneasy.
That’s because Catherine, worn down by fatigue, was radiating discomfort the entire time. There’s nothing more dangerous than showing interest in an angry superior. If you let the sparks of discontent flare up, it would be my foolishness.
After a few hours, when Catherine ceased her grim demeanor, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
“…What’s making you so uncomfortable?”
“Sir Atanitas, it’s only natural for employees to feel fear at even the slightest actions of their employers.”
“Fear? Shouldn’t the one who should be afraid be me, the one perpetually at the mercy of the great Duke of Iceland? Well, I suppose that’s enough of that.”
Catherine, while getting her hair done by Mary and addressing the tasks brought over from the tower, sat sideways with her chin resting on her hand.
“But you were just angry, weren’t you?”
“I released my pent-up frustration enough. Now I need to think constructively.”
“Constructively, huh?”
Karem recalled just a few hours earlier when the group was about to board the waiting wagon.
After continuous overtime and late nights, Catherine almost exploded and lunged at Alfred, prompting Karem and Mary to step in to restrain her, after which knights and soldiers alerted by the ruckus rushed over.
And through it all, Alfred watched with an amused smile.
If added a sprinkle of political maneuvering to make the situation more dramatic, he could have seized a weakness, but instead, the incident merely went down in history as a slightly intense protest from a fatigued wizard.
After all, the one issuing commands, Alfred, was well aware that she was overworked. It only made sense for her to snap when more tasks were added.
But it couldn’t be helped. Right now, Catherine was the only wizard Alfred could freely command.
“If you had grievances, you should have brought them up before the contract.”
“That sounds just right. If it had been genuine, I would have fired off magic on the spot. Knowing that, the duke likely let it go.”
“Actually, I thought that was going to be the end of it.”
“You may be precocious, but you’re also a bit weak-hearted.”
Hearing that from the very one who had made him weak-hearted, Karem repeatedly opened and closed his mouth in disbelief. In peak confusion, words wouldn’t come out at all.
Seeing Karem’s reaction pleased Catherine as she smirked, but then her expression darkened as she opened a box resting at one side of the wagon.
Inside the box were various parchments and books crammed together.
“Ha, to think I have to work even on my way to work. My life sure is full of surprises.”
“But, Contractor, isn’t it just time you’re short on?”
“Thanks to the contract, I barely have any time at all. Are you daring to mock me?”
“There’s a saying: enjoy the things you can’t avoid.”
“And no matter how enjoyable something is, if you do it continuously, it becomes boring. I must get through these damn tasks quickly. Ugh.”
A deep sigh encapsulated a heavy sense of fatigue.
“By the way, Sir Atanitas.”
“What is it?”
“I have a question. Where exactly is Drywood?”
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Drywood
One of the lush forests in Iceland, unlike the usual coniferous woods, it was a village nestled in a forest filled with antler trees resembling deer antlers, so at first glance, it seemed like just another common village by the woods.
Originally, it was a village bound to a fief owned by a knight, who was the servant of Alfred’s servant.
However, Catherine explained that due to a complicated situation involving wagons, wine, and terraces, it was given to the Felwinter Family this spring.
“For a lord, having more land is always better if one is capable. And considering my lord’s capabilities are overflowing, there was no reason to refuse this territory.”
“But now, with snow falling, why of all times, in winter?”
While Catherine was doing her hair, Mary shot a sideways glance.
“Junior Karem. To be precise, it’s not technically winter yet.”
“Huh? With snow pouring down outside as if someone’s spilling it?”
“Well, you could say it’s just that the first snow arrived a bit early.”
In which country does someone say the first snow drifts down as if someone is pouring it from the sky? The coldest city in the world I saw in videos didn’t have snow pouring down like that.
Karem was flustered, but Mary confirmed it as truth without speaking.
“Oh dear, I don’t get it. So, what’s wrong with that forest?”
“More accurately, it’s to assess the problem.”
“…You said it was given this spring?”
“Yes.”
Catherine twisted her body and began to stretch out her stiff limbs, creaking sounds echoing as her bones clicked.
Mary frowned as she arranged Catherine’s flowing golden hair like a silky curtain.
“Contractor, your hair is getting tangled.”
“Ugh. Where was I? Ah, right. Since spring, disappearances have been occurring continuously.”
“Wait, since spring?”
“Yes, since spring. The last report even mentioned there were disappearances in the nearby village.”
Although the medieval times didn’t manage time down to the minute and second like modern days, it was still considered precious, perhaps even more so, making time management back then a bit lax in reverse.
Considering that it’s tough to be active in winter, to say they hadn’t noticed a problem for quite three-quarters of the year from spring to autumn was very serious.
What exactly did they do for so long?
“Well, disappearances in Iceland during spring and summer are normal enough. It can’t be helped.”
“Wait? Disappearances are common?”
“Expanding forests, attacks by provoked monsters, emotional conflicts between people, the causes vary. And especially if most of the missing are outsiders.”
Furthermore, in spring and summer, Iceland saw a considerable influx of people from other regions. So how could they not think it was problematic when outsiders went missing?
“Is the village rejecting outsiders?”
“If that were the case, no incidents would occur after summer when all the outsiders leave.”
“But is it something that even Sir Atanitas should be involved with?”
That was a reasonable question.
Right now, Catherine was the only wizard in Alfred’s direct service.
That meant she had to carry out the requests and demands of Winterhome, the Felwinter Family, and Alfred all by herself. Which implied she was short on time due to overwork and late-night shifts.
Wait, does that mean there are simply no other wizards?
“Why not hire a wizard employed elsewhere, even with extra pay?”
“The wizards already hired are scattered throughout the territory, undergoing the same overtime pressures as I am.”
“Oh wow.”
“More importantly, those who went ahead to investigate the antler forest’s disappearance cases have vanished as well.”
If an investigation team consisting of knights and soldiers disappeared, this time they were to investigate with a wizard and a bit more combat and auxiliary personnel—this was the illustrious duke’s command.
Thus, an investigative subjugation team was formed.
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The caravan crossing through the snow-covered expanse momentarily halted.
There wasn’t any particular problem.
It was simply lunchtime.
Karem gazed at the portion of food prepared for them by Mary.
Iceland’s specialties: Dane Cheese, ham slices made from Snowrunner legs, large and small sausages, nuts and vinegar-pickled onions, along with warm wheat bread.
“How on earth is warm bread coming out in this freezing weather?”
“Junior Karem, is there a problem? There’s also dry bread and jerky.”
“Ugh, not a chance I’d complain. This is rather nice.”
Considering the so-called noble ones and their servants, if it weren’t for them, their meals would likely be predictable.
Half-frozen water paired with hard, frozen bread and jerky.
If they were lucky, a little dried fruit and veggies would be the limit.
Compared to that, the food laid out at the moment was truly a feast.
There was even warm, fragrant white bread.
“Well, it must have been made using magic tools.”
Catherine took a bite of a slice of bread topped with cheese and Snowrunner ham.
“I don’t remember creating it, so it must have been a product of a wizard prior to me—or perhaps it was purchased from somewhere.”
“Must cost a pretty penny?”
“Why, are you interested?”
Catherine’s words made Karem nod earnestly.
“Pretty much, no, make that hugely.”
Generally speaking, food had to be warm to taste good. Of course, there were some that tasted better cold or lukewarm, but most did not.
But one thing lingered in his mind.
“Magic tools.”
“Hmm? Interested? Depending on size and use, they can vary greatly, but at least they’ll be worth over one crown.”
“Uh, I think I’ll let that go for now.”
One-sixth of his annual salary, huh?
Karem quickly banished the fleeting thoughts of spending money from his mind. He hadn’t received his salary yet, and he certainly didn’t want to spend that much.