20 – Northern Minnesota

A cool wind blows

A cool breeze blows here at the time of summer’s last breath.

A land where there is no heat, a place of pain that is all too familiar to me. arrived in the north

I came to the place I thought I would never come back to, the place I wanted to run away from.

all because of witches If the cursed witch’s abode hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have come here.

A sigh comes out.

Having lived a life betrayed by hope every time, only self-condemnation leaks out in my situation, where I have found traces of the curse with even the slightest hope.

What should I do?

Thinking of that, I touched the book I had in my arms. A book containing the unfortunate life of a hero who is the first head of household. A book that the High Priest passed away as mine. After touching the book once, I take the reins of the wagon again.

“Brother, what is that ice in the distance?”

For some reason, I see the direction that Rachel, who insisted on following me, pointed to. I see a very small dot. It’s hard to tell with the naked eye, but looking in the direction, I could tell what she was talking about.

“It’s Minnesota, the central city of the North.”

“Ah~ don’t lie. How is ice a city?”

“You will know when you go.”

She looks at him suspiciously, but ignores him and drives the carriage.

As time goes on, the dots only get bigger. The bigger the dot, the more upset it is.

“Brother, is the ice over there a castle wall?”

“Yes, the walls are built with unmelting ice.”

“It’s ice that doesn’t melt, so it’s mysterious and pretty.”

“…yes, it’s pretty.”

The castle walls built of ice were certainly pretty and beautiful. so i liked it

“You know the roads, you know the city, but have you ever been here?”

“yes. My fiancé lives here.”

It’s where my wife and fiancé lived, where I lived, and where I died, so I have no choice but to know.

“Oh, brother, do you have a fiancé?”

She pokes my side and laughs.

“It’s an ordinary thing if you’re an aristocrat.”

“Yes?”

She thinks hard, then smiles.

“But since you’re a person to be married, don’t you have a heart? Even now, in this vast northern country, you dare to choose the city where your fiancé lives, don’t you?”

She said it because she didn’t know my complex state of mind, but it still bothered me, so I opened my mouth to refute it.

“Not all fiancés get married. And although the north is large, there are not many cities that can be maintained, so I have no choice but to stop by Minnesota.”

“Hmm. I will do that.”

Her strangely annoyed expression and tone scratch my nerves. I want to say something to the girl who is scratching my nerves, but I hold back because it is obvious that if I say a word, it will drag on by grabbing the pod every time.

“By the way, what kind of person is your fiancée?”

It took me a while to answer her question again.

“He is the person I admired.”

“If my brother admired him, he must be a great person.”

“…yes, that’s great.”

Every time I talk and think, I get bitter.

“But wouldn’t it be nice to be engaged to someone like that? Why didn’t you answer when I asked if you had a heart?”

Today, every single word she says is burdensome.

“Yeah, that was good… not now.”

She looks puzzled at my answer.

“then”

He covers her mouth as she tries to speak again.

“We’re almost there, so cover your face.”

With a dissatisfied expression on her face, she has no choice but to wear a mask and put on a deep robe. Then he stabs me in the side, but I ignore it. If you look back at the stabbing, the conversation will continue, so it’s best to ignore it.

Ignoring her like that, I drove the wagon to the gate where the guards were standing. It’s a very familiar gateway, but seeing soldiers I’ve never seen before stand guard, I feel a sense of alienation.

“Please present your pass or ID.”

“Here it is.”

Instead of an ID card, the pass prepared in advance is handed over to the soldiers. The guard checks the pass, looks at Rachel, who is wrapped up tightly, for a moment, and returns the pass.

“There is nothing wrong with the pass. You can go in.”

“thank you.”

I let out a sigh of relief inside. I thought there would be a scuffle because of her, but it’s fortunate that nothing happened. If he even showed his ID while arguing, it would have definitely reached Iris’ ears. I want to avoid that situation. I don’t want to see her in a state where I’m not sure of lifting the curse.

As I was thinking about that, I felt a heavy shock on my side. Let’s take a look at the source of the heavy shock. Rachel, frowning, holds out a book of writing.

“Why do you keep ignoring me?”

“It’s because it’s dangerous to look away while driving a carriage in the city.”

Saying that, looking forward again, I drove the carriage towards the inn with the best soundproofing among the inns I remember. After a while, I arrived at the location of the inn in my memory. However, there was only an old house that no one seemed to live in. Rachel shakes my shoulder and looks back.

“You’re not saying you’re sleeping here, are you?”

“It’s not like that. Don’t worry, you just misunderstood the road.”

Ignoring her disbelief, I drove the carriage to a place where the inn might be, searching for memories.

Fortunately, the next inn I visited was in the place I remembered, neat and tidy. Reassuringly, I parked my wagon in the vacant lot next to the inn.

“Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

Confirming that she nods, enter the inn. Even though it was late afternoon, not meal time, there were many people inside the inn, so it was noisy. Walking through a noisy inn unlike my memory, I approached a middle-aged man who was presumed to be the owner in my memory.

“Come on. Are you here for a meal? Or are you here to stay?”

“I plan to stay for one night with two people. There is also a carriage, can you manage it?”

“Of course it is possible. Would you like a double room? Or would you like two single rooms?”

“Take two single rooms. And meals are said when necessary. I don’t need change.”

Saying so, he held out a silver coin. The middle-aged man smiles broadly, takes care of the silver coins, and bows his back.

“thank you. For the room, you can use the room facing each other at the end on the left side of the second floor. If you have any inconveniences or needs, always let me know.”

“Don’t let that happen. The wagon is parked in the vacant lot next door, so take good care of it.”

“Sure.”

I accept the key given by the middle-aged man, pack my things in the carriage outside, and enter the inn with her.

I take her and open the room on the far left on the second floor that the host said. I am satisfied with the neat appearance and the fact that there is no pleasant smell from an old inn.

“You write here. I will use the room across from you.”

“Brother’s room doesn’t matter, let’s look around the town together.”

“I’m annoying, so do it alone.”

I didn’t want to look around the town I was tired of seeing, so I declined her offer.

“Will you take responsibility if I go around alone and get caught by the guards?”

“Why do you expect to be captured?”

“Because I don’t know the human laws well, I could accidentally make an accident.”

“Okay, okay. I will follow you.”

I didn’t like her emphasizing ‘accidentally’, but I had no choice but to listen to her because if I got caught by accident as she said, it would be a headache. She was so happy that she jumped up and down.

“Then go quickly.”

“Let’s just drop our luggage and go.”

I throw the things I brought into my room, and after checking that the room is locked, I go to the girl who is waiting for me.

“Go quickly before it gets too dark.”

“Yes, yes.”

Take her excitedly and take her for a walk through the town. She spends her time walking down a strange street that feels both familiar and unfamiliar, buying the snacks she begs to eat.

The time spent in unfamiliar yet familiar streets is strangely nostalgic and bitter. He gets wet with that strange feeling and follows her excitedly.

She stopped frantically and pointed at a magnificent building that could be seen from a distance.

“Brother, what is that building?”

“It is the inner castle where the lord and his family stay.”

At that, she takes one more look at her introspection and then looks at me again.

“By the way, brother Bonnie, do you mind not going to your fiancé?”

Brings out the tough words again.

“I came here secretly, so there is no need to look for it. And they are not close enough to visit.”

As I said that, I heard a familiar voice that I didn’t want to hear now.

“That’s right, I came here secretly, so there’s no need to come.”

I turn around in surprise at the voice I hear from behind.

“But what can I do, I found you. My fiancé, who is not close.”

She looks at me, a voice that mixes a bit of playfulness and joy, and a little smile that makes me feel uncomfortable, yet lovable.

“After meeting you like this and knowing that you came, I invite you and you should be polite, right?”

I couldn’t help but nod my head at those words.

“Do you want the group next to you to go too?”

At her words, Rachel ponders and nods her head. Confirming Rachel’s intention, Iris leads the way. Looking at it, I take a heavy step.