Chapter 122

Chapter 122
## Chapter 122

“The more I witness this, the more it defies belief,” Hugo whispered, sweeping his palm through the vacant air.

Whenever he leaned past the established boundary, a violent, freezing gale ripped at his skin. Yet, the instant he retreated a single step, the air turned tranquil once more.

He had heard tales of strange weather where one side of a road was drenched in rain while the other remained parched, but this phenomenon was on a far grander scale. While a lethal blizzard shrieked in every direction around them, the small pocket of space occupied by Lucian’s group was eerily still.

“It’s hard to fathom how anyone wielding this level of authority could ever be defeated. With such power, a person could bring down a whole civilization,” Hugo remarked.

“That might be true if every sorcerer possessed my teacher’s talent. However, the disparity in ability among practitioners is more vast than you can imagine,” Colin answered, a strained smile touching his lips.

“Even with my training, I cannot manifest high-tier enchantments of this magnitude. Only a Great Mage of my Master’s rank can sustain such a thing, and even then, it demands immense groundwork. He likely spent two decades or more anchoring this spell.”

“It took him precisely fourteen years,” Helen corrected him. “Prior to that, even the Master had to gamble with his life every time he traversed these wastes.”

“…I see.”

The faint smile slid off Colin’s face. He clearly still felt the sting of being kept in the dark by his mentor and his fellow student. The atmosphere grew heavy for a brief moment, but Lucian’s commanding tone quickly cut through the tension.

“Save the academic debates for another time. You will have plenty of opportunities for that later. Right now, our priority is reaching the outpost where we’ll be taking shelter.”

Through the use of sorcery, a corridor had been carved through the frozen plains. However, simply being able to walk across did not mean they could survive an overnight camp in the elements. Even if their immediate area was shielded from the wind, sleeping in these temperatures would turn them into frozen statues by dawn. Since their journey required several days of travel, they needed fortified bases to rest.

“Helen, where is the nearest station? According to your calculations, we should be approaching it.”

“It is just ahead. I can see it now.”

Helen extended her hand, indicating a spot in the distance.

Initially, it appeared to be nothing more than a mound of white powder, but a closer look revealed the corner of a window frame jutting out from the drifts. Only then did Lucian grasp that it wasn’t a natural hill, but a small lodge almost entirely swallowed by the snow.

“…Is that structure even usable? Even if we dig it out, the entrance is likely sealed shut with ice.”

“The cabin is inscribed with countless protective runes to ward off the frost. Once the snow is cleared, the latch should give way easily. Furthermore, we have two practitioners among us, so there is no need for manual labor.”

“Is there a need for both of us to exert ourselves? I will take care of it; you just stay back and conserve your energy. I need to prove my worth as well,” Colin said with a huff, stepping to the front.

His grumpy tone made it evident to everyone that he was nursing a bruised ego. Helen offered a small, pained smile and gave him space. Standing before the buried structure, Colin lifted his hand toward the snow.

“Disperse.”

*Crackle.*

His voice resonated with a deep, hollow quality, and the packed ice began to fall away in heavy chunks. For a building that had been entombed just moments ago, the woodwork looked surprisingly pristine.

Lucian approached the entrance, opening the door with measured care.

*Creeeeeak.*

‘It truly hasn’t been gripped by the ice.’

He had been concerned the wood might splinter if he applied force, but the worry was unfounded. Just as Helen had promised, the ancient symbols etched into the surface had kept the frost at bay. As Lucian crossed the threshold, he was stunned by the warmth that met him.

“It is temperate in here. Is this also the result of the inscriptions?”

“Indeed. They prevent the structure from freezing while providing constant warmth. However, you should note that the pantry is the only area intentionally left without these runes.”

“A pantry?”

“The cabinet over there.”

Helen walked to the far wall and pulled open a piece of furniture that resembled a tall wardrobe. Inside, fresh cuts of meat hung from iron hooks. Immediately, a wave of intense cold spilled out from the unit, chilling the room.

“If we leave the door ajar for too long, the cabin’s temperature will plummet, so we have to retrieve our supplies quickly.”

As she spoke, Helen nimbly grabbed several portions of meat and moved toward the fireplace. As she stood upon the thick pelts covering the floor and placed the food into a waiting iron pot, the hearth ignited instantly. Lucian watched with fascination as he saw the etchings around the stone glow softly.

“More runes? Exactly how many are carved into this place? And for that matter, how do you even recognize these symbols?”

Runic script was a tongue whose definitions had been largely erased following the suppression of sorcerers. Even the most elite palace mages only understood a handful of symbols related to warfare. Yet, the runes glowing here weren’t designed for battle; they were domestic markers that had long since been lost to time. It seemed minor, but this was a body of knowledge that could radically improve the lives of both the peasantry and the nobility.

“Master holds the title of Magus, the pinnacle of our craft. Since this is one of the sanctuaries he dedicated over a decade of his life to perfecting, it should be at least this functional.”

“No, what I’m trying to emphasize is…”

Lucian began to clarify his point to Helen, who had missed his underlying meaning, but then he simply shook his head. He hadn’t yet met this master in person, so there was no reason to offer him praise prematurely.

However, Helen continued with a look of quiet pride.

“It is far too early for amazement. There is more to see.”

“What, is this hut going to transform into a mansion next?”

“No, the meat serves as a restorative.”

“A restorative?”

Confused by her choice of words, Lucian grew still as he leaned in to inspect the meat Helen had prepared. Mana was visibly pulsing through the flesh of an animal that had been hunted long ago.

—

“Mmm.”

“Hoh.”

Lucian’s companions couldn’t help but let out sounds of approval as they sampled Helen’s meal. It wasn’t merely because the flavor was exceptional or the recipe was unique. It was because, despite being a basic meat dish, it provided an effect comparable to a spiritual tonic.

“To think my internal energy would swell just from eating a meal…”

“Does this imply the inhabitants of this region are essentially consuming elixirs with every bite?”

Hugo and Raymond whispered in shock as they ate. Felicia, however, finished her portion with a neutral expression.

“The increase is far too marginal. At this pace, one would have to eat this for an eternity to match the impact of a genuine elixir.”

She wasn’t comparing it to something as legendary as Nectar. She was talking about the common, low-tier tonics that a person of high status and wealth could eventually acquire. While such tonics were priceless to a commoner, she questioned if it was worth the sacrifice of a restricted diet for ten years. It wasn’t about the flavor, but the fact that one would be tethered to this specific environment, unable to travel to distant wars or regions where such food was unavailable.

“If a wealthy lord were consuming this for longevity, I could see the merit. But for training a knightly order, it would be far more efficient to simply purchase elixirs.”

“Lady Felicia is quite right.”

Helen nodded in agreement with Felicia’s logic.

“No matter how remarkable the properties, it is still the flesh of a wild creature. It cannot compete with an elixir, which is a concentrated product of alchemy. You would have to eat this for over ten years to even approach the power of a single vial. However…”

Helen placed her wooden spoon down with a dull click and lowered her voice.

“The clans that inhabit this wilderness eat this meat every single day.”

“…”

“They don’t have to seek out specific, high-quality beasts. The flesh of every creature captured in this territory carries this property.”

It wasn’t a matter of luxury or careful selection. It was a simple fact of nature that every animal they killed for survival was saturated with mana. Consequently, for the northern clans, this was just their standard diet. From the moment they moved to solid food until the day they died, they sustained themselves on this meat.

“It might take a decade to equal one tonic, but every person here has already met that threshold. They have been consuming it since they were toddlers.”

“Then they are effectively equivalent to people who have been enhanced by elixirs. Their physical durability and strength must be naturally immense.”

If the goal was to produce elite knights, this might still fall short. Physical power alone does not grant the wisdom of a strategist or the technical mastery of the blade. But if they were utilized as frontline infantry, the dynamic changed entirely. If a battalion of people with the raw strength of knights formed a cohesive force—if they could shatter enemy formations in a single charge—

‘Even with a small fraction of an opponent’s numbers, they could become a legendary legion that haunts the dreams of their enemies.’

A slight, calculating smile tugged at the corner of Lucian’s mouth. The abstract concept of an army hidden beyond the snow was starting to take a very real shape.

—

The group remained at the outpost for a full day before departing the next morning.

In truth, it was nearly impossible to distinguish between dawn and midday. The snowstorms were so thick that the sun was a mere ghost in the sky. They only estimated the time based on whether the horizon was a deep violet or a void-like black.

“I finally understand why no one who tried to navigate these plains without magical aid ever came back,” Hugo muttered with a shiver after ten days of travel.

The light was so dim it made one lose track of time, and the biting cold was a burden even for a trained knight to bear. Furthermore, even after ten days of constant movement, there was no sign of human life; it was an unrelenting icy void. If Helen and Colin’s master hadn’t paved the way and built these shelters, they would have perished long ago.

“It’s been the fifteen days we were told it would take. Why haven’t we encountered any of these tribes yet?”

“We only have one more day of travel. If we had pushed ourselves, we could have arrived today, but we maintained a slower pace to keep our energy high, so there is no cause for concern.”

“That’s a relief. Or perhaps not. To them, we are likely nothing but intruders.”

“Master is expecting us, so we should be welcomed as visitors. I have been here several times myself…”

Helen, who was answering Hugo’s query, suddenly went rigid.

As the rest of the group followed her stare, they spotted looming silhouettes in the distance. Just as they squinted to make out the shapes, a thunderous roar erupted from the shadows.

“Who dares to trespass upon the Dragon’s territory!”

The booming voice slammed into the ears of Lucian’s party. Even without the reinforcement of mana, the sheer volume made their heads throb. Had there been any peaks nearby, the sound would have surely caused a massive collapse of snow.

Lucian narrowed his eyes at the aggressive greeting and prepared to step forward, but Helen stopped him.

“Please, allow me to handle this. If I can navigate this correctly, we might prevent a conflict.”

“Very well.”

At Lucian’s signal, Helen moved to the front and called out in a calm, steady tone.

“A voice like a true champion. Very few can produce such a sound; might I be speaking to Lord Gunstein?”

“A woman? What business does a woman have in a place like this?”

A trace of confusion colored the reply from across the snow. It seemed they had never considered a woman would survive the journey across the frozen wastes. Seeing the challenger’s guard drop slightly, Helen spoke with a warmer expression.

“Have you forgotten me? I am Helen. I studied the paths under the Great Mage. You once shared a drink with me during a celebration; do you recall?”

The voice on the other side went quiet.

A moment later, the dark shapes began to move forward with caution, still maintaining a level of suspicion. When the two groups were finally close enough to see each other through the haze, the members of Lucian’s party could only stare in amazement.