Chapter 109

After passing the village, we started to climb uphill.

The mountain peaks still rose in the distance, and the occasional wind blew coolly on my nose.

Fortunately, the sky I looked up at was clear, and it didn’t look like it would snow.

“From here on, little by little snow remains.”

Permafrost begins.

The snow accumulated on the ground where the temperature is below freezing all year round does not melt easily.

The color of green gradually fades away, and the white color that seems to stretch forever swallows up the forest slowly.

“How was the previous investigation team?”

“What do the dead guys know?”

“An anti-teacher.”

“Ohh, did you ever grab a pen?”

Heather giggled.

“It was 20 years ago, and this is not what I experienced, but what I heard. It’s been 15 years since I stayed in that village the size of rats.”

Before Auril was born, Mash was a strong and powerful country that stood shoulder to shoulder with Enpyrian Riden.

The reason Rongurt’s territory did not expand further to the right was because, surprisingly, Mash was still alive and well.

Cotton, which had been pioneered, prospered in an instant, and as traffic increased, the city became lively. Then I heard the news that was far away.

“Yuk… … What time was it?”

“Are you yuksil?”

“Yeah, right. A new gold mine was discovered there.”

A large-scale gold mine was discovered in the Yuxilla Territory of Rongurt.

Since gold is consumed in the processing of magic stones used in magic tools, gold was one of the minerals whose demand skyrocketed at the time. Since then, the gold mine has been named Posotti.

The previous king, Turunchei Mashuhma, who was in line with Rongult beyond Liden, sent an investigation team to the north, saying that there might be at least a gold mine in this land that the ancestors had given. It was a cool driving force indeed.

It was the first investigation team.

Five strong warriors and one scholar hired from Riden.

It could have been a failure. Turunchei Masuhma had a temper that left no regrets, so he was determined to give up cleanly if he didn’t.

“It disappeared without a trace.”

couldn’t come back

There was no news even after three months, and no news even after five months.

A second investigation team was organized. The goal was not to mine gold. I sent 10 famous knights from Mash.

couldn’t come back

“That’s about it being banned.”

There are only four areas designated as banned on the continent.

Following the Neutral Zone beyond the Northern Wall, the Whirlwind Islands in southern Credia, and Riden’s Abyss.

The fourth ban designated the snowy mountains north of Mashu. It was then that the name Baekok was attached.

“Since the country has become that shape, I thought it would not be there for a while. It’s worth living these days. maybe 4 years ago? I took them there for the first time then.”

3rd investigation team.

It was a time when Keljian had been away from the palace for tens of months and wandered the continent.

Since then, the purpose has changed. Realizing that the flow rate of the Pigtail River was gradually decreasing, an investigation team was dispatched upstream.

“Where have you been?”

“See you over there. that mountain.”

“Yes.”

“There are places where there is very little snow. There is one rock with a sharp point. There is no snow under it.”

Heather raised a thick finger and pointed straight ahead. A dot the size of millet is stamped on the pure white mountain.

“Up until that point, I had already entered the white house and walked around for a day, so I was half a corpse. If the weather is nice in the summer, it’s barely worth going.”

“Are you guiding me there?”

“Are you insane? It’s winter now! I have no sleeping bag or anything. I will be dispatching it in the summer. Anyway, that stupid king… … Tsk tsk.”

flinch.

Euril, who followed silently from behind, reacted.

“Uh huh. If you say so.”

“Oops. okay. But you said they were both wizards anyway, right? There is no way that a wizard will remain in the palace. I don’t know how much I got to get into the white house.”

“I was inexhaustible.”

“Life is precious, life is!”

Heather yelled.

“As long as money is somehow alive, opportunities will come. Even though I look like this, my daughter and son are living a life worthy of the nobility of the empire.”

“Are herbs that valuable?”

“Ugh, yes. Herbs are precious.”

Heather stuttered.

is there something That’s why Heather tells the way like a veteran and goes back. There are no special events.

I don’t think they’ll tell you even if you ask. Heather was the first to change the subject.

“Rather than that, why doesn’t the guy behind there say a word?”

“I am not dumb.”

Euril hadn’t opened her mouth since entering the village. There wouldn’t be any need for that.

Even if she had silver hair, the unique color of the Mashma royal family, there was no way she could recognize that it was Euril through her voice.

“Isn’t it difficult?”

nod

It was Euril who quietly nodded. If you look at it like this, it looks fresh because it looks like the old look overlaps again.

“Shall we take a rest here?”

“Good.”

“Is this lighter than it looks?”

I sat down on a moderately protruding rock and set my load down. Heather gently pushed it with the palm of her hand.

“I thought all wizards were weaklings, but isn’t that the case?”

“I am rather strong.”

Auril also put down the backpack she was carrying. Seeing that he is breathing a little, it seems that it is time to rest.

“I will only guide you to the entrance of Baekok. When I go there, my mouth is so wide open. Think carefully until then.”

“I am.”

where is that even

There are no roads or milestones.

Even if the degree of bearing is estimated, it is not a good idea to go straight to the north from these mountains in the first place. You have to be good at going through valleys.

If he doesn’t get Heather as a guide in the previous village, he will wander all the way to reach Baekok.

“What happened to the 4th investigation team?”

“It has gotten smaller. Hehe, you know that they didn’t come back either, right?”

“Is there something else?”

“Buy it. body. There are many, many crazy people in the world, but aren’t there more sane people?”

“It is.”

“Well, I can’t believe it when I say this. I also have a conscience.”

Heather gave directions to the 4th investigation team and returned to the village.

If it wasn’t too late, it was to dry them off. But Heather found out.

The weather was nice, and only a few hours had passed, so there were footprints.

“They didn’t go into White House.”

“Yes?”

I pretended to be surprised.

“They just skipped the subsidy and disappeared! Hahaha!”

After Heather returns.

The 4th investigation team turned around at the entrance of Baekok and went down the mountain. They said they deliberately circled the village and headed west so as not to be noticed.

“Maybe they are living a good life in Rongrute! Yeah, it must have been a penny or two to drive people by the limbs? I must have robbed the national treasury. Hehe, that’s stupid.”

Euril’s hand, who was sitting next to him, trembled. Be patient, be patient. Only until you reach White House. I patted the back of Auril’s hand.

“Oh, did you get the money first?”

“I got it first.”

It’s not the money, but the person behind it.

“If only I kept my mouth shut, huh? No one will ever know if the two of you are in that white mouth or if you’re slicing steaks in the warm south of Rongrte. Isn’t it?”

“haha.”

“Well, I won’t ask for much.”

Raising her eyebrows, Heather curled her index finger and thumb into a circle.

A few bucks means he’ll keep his mouth shut.

“I’ll think about it when I get to the white jade.”

“Ah, yes. If it doesn’t snow for a while, footprints will remain for a long time. It’s better to leave a mark.”

The break was over, and I started packing again.

I grabbed Auril’s hand, who was sitting as if it had been nailed down, and lifted her up and whispered.

“I’ll hit you once I get there.”

“… … ten.”

“He’s holding a knife.”

I reluctantly nod my head.

“Come on, let’s move quickly.”

Is Heather evil?

Not so. In order to save the 3rd investigation team, he returned to Baekok through a rough road.

Are the 4th investigation team that ran away after receiving only the subsidies evil? It is also ambiguous.

It is forbidden that no one has returned alive. If someone tries to cross the northern wall, everyone will say he’s crazy, and it doesn’t matter how much he got paid. Is it different here?

Maybe he had an idea to investigate until he saw the white jade with his own two eyes.

Then, was Keljian, who did not think of such a thing, stupid?

When the Pigtail River freezes over, all the northern crops wither away. The people will suffer from more hunger than now.

It is said that the imperial army is now stationed and the people’s livelihood has been revived, but it is limited to the coastline and the southern area, and it is not forever.

It’s just such a problem.

that’s how the world works All positions are intertwined. It would be hasty to pinpoint someone and say that you are the culprit.

It’s easy to catch and curse at one person, but in fact, neither side involved can completely escape responsibility.

‘It’s no fun if there’s an openly bad guy.’

‘… … Are you a pervert?’

‘no.’

Yo is the mire-like environment itself. After that, such a relationship is formed between the characters.

The main character and Frid.

Frid and Euril.

Euril and the child… … .

I have nothing to say even if I hear swearing. What will I do again in the second year? With Baeller alive, we don’t know what will happen.

“Be careful from now on.”

said Heather, who had been pruning branches five steps ahead.

“It’s snow.”

“okay.”

The snow, which was sparsely visible on the dirt floor, was already more than half. My vision is gradually turning white.

It is proof that you are reaching the White Jade.

“Tread well in my footsteps and follow me. Even if it looks like a wide road now, it’s not half.”

“If not a road, what is it?”

“It’s either a pit or a cliff. It’s not like a cliff. If you roll a few times while carrying such a heavy load, won’t all your bones break?”

“I guess so.”

“You’ve got your shoes on, so just be careful and you’ll be fine.”

The speed at which the party moved was not that fast.

Heather was on the move, digging for herbs she could see, but that wasn’t the only thing.

“This guy’s mountain is definitely new every time he came.”

Heather said that she had marked each tree with a safe path ahead of time. This is because the number of trees is gradually decreasing, making it difficult to find a sign.

After about two hours like that, it was around the time that the feeling of the hard soil on my feet was getting dull.

“Huh!”

“100 million!”

My body tilted with a short scream from behind. I hurriedly grabbed the tree next to me and didn’t fall.

I looked back and saw Euril slipping and falling. I almost fell because I was tied tightly with a rope.

In particular, it seemed that the ground was not inclined or simply slipped.

“it’s okay? Can you stand up?”

“Yes. I was a bit surprised.”

“What, I fell… … .”

Heather looked back. As he falls, he sees Euril’s hair with his hat off.

“Huh.”

shiny silver hair.

The unique color of the Mashu royal family.

Heather took a deep breath. Do you want to regret what you said earlier?

I was hiding it because I thought there would be a commotion in the village, but now it’s not really a problem because I can see it. Heather might be a bit intimidated.

“Oh, Princess… … ?”

“What you looking at.”

Auril glared at Heather in a sharp tone. Heather immediately rolled her eyes. Angry Euril is scary.

“Continue guiding. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said earlier.”

“Yes, yes… … .”

Unlike the relaxed appearance right before, Heather’s severely trembling appearance was comical.

There are not one or two people who curse Keljian, so is it surprising?

“Hey, that’s it.”

Podeuk.

Finally, my feet started to get buried in the snow. If you look up, there are no trees or rocks anywhere.

The boundary between the mountains in the distance and the snow fields right in front is ambiguous.

Losing perspective, like the world in a hazy dream.

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Just plain white land.

This is where the White Hell begins.