chapter 117
The convoy moved steadily through the frozen wilderness.
The runners of the sleighs glided smoothly across the snow, leaving long trails behind them.
Only the sound of galloping horses...
The whisper of the icy wind...
And the occasional creak of wood disturbed the endless silence.
The night was beautiful.
Yet unforgiving.
Snow-covered pine forests stretched across the mountains like an endless white ocean.
Massive cliffs towered over the narrow road.
Moonlight reflected across frozen rivers, making them sparkle like polished crystal.
Chris pulled his cloak tighter around himself.
"...I don't think I've ever been this cold."
Captain Bochy, seated across from him, remained perfectly still.
"You'll get used to it."
Chris looked at him.
"...Really?"
Captain Bochy nodded once.
"...No."
Chris sighed.
"...I appreciate your honesty."
Marco, riding in the sleigh ahead with Guinevere and Princess Flora, couldn't help smiling.
Even in the middle of a frozen continent...
Captain Bochy remained exactly the same.
---
Princess Flora quietly observed the landscape around them.
Everything felt...
Ancient.
The mountains.
The forests.
The silence.
It was as though this continent had remained untouched while the rest of the world continued changing.
Vendetta noticed her gaze.
"Nivorheim rarely changes."
"The winters are long."
"The people have learned to live alongside them."
Flora looked toward the towering mountains.
"It feels..."
"...peaceful."
Vendetta nodded.
"It is."
"But peace here has always demanded sacrifice."
"Our people learned long ago that survival comes before comfort."
Flora fell silent once more.
The more she saw of the Justice Worshippers...
The more she realized they had never lived easy lives.
They hadn't hidden because they feared the world.
They had hidden because the world had left them no other choice.
---
Hours passed.
The snow gradually became heavier.
The escort at the front raised a hand.
The convoy slowed.
Marco frowned.
"...What's wrong?"
The lead escort dismounted from his sleigh and examined the snow-covered road ahead.
After a brief moment, he spoke.
"An avalanche crossed the road earlier today."
"The path is blocked."
Chris leaned forward.
"...Blocked?"
The man nodded.
"We'll need to take the forest route."
Captain Bochy looked toward the dense pine forest beside them.
"...Is it safe?"
"It is longer."
"But safer than climbing unstable slopes."
Vendetta agreed.
"We'll go through the forest."
The convoy slowly turned.
The sleighs disappeared beneath towering snow-covered trees.
---
Inside the forest...
The wind almost vanished.
The enormous pines shielded them from the storm.
Snowflakes drifted gently through the branches.
The silence became even deeper.
Esabell looked around in amazement.
"...It's beautiful."
Chris nodded.
"...It's also a little creepy."
"Why?"
"There isn't a single bird."
Esabell paused.
Only then did she notice.
No birds.
No insects.
No animals.
Nothing.
Only silence.
Vendetta answered quietly.
"Most creatures avoid these forests after sunset."
Chris blinked.
"...That doesn't make me feel better."
Marco placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"...Stay alert."
Several Lumivale soldiers instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.
Even though nothing could be seen...
Everyone felt as though countless eyes were watching from somewhere beyond the trees.
---
The escort suddenly raised his hand again.
The convoy stopped.
Everyone became silent.
Chris whispered,
"...What now?"
One of the Frostgard guards slowly pointed toward the snow.
Fresh footprints.
Large ones.
Marco narrowed his eyes.
"...Monsters?"
The guard knelt beside the tracks.
After examining them carefully, he stood.
"...No."
"Snow bears."
Captain Bochy frowned.
"Are they dangerous?"
The guard smiled faintly.
"Only if you interrupt their dinner."
Chris immediately looked around.
"...Can we not do that?"
A few of the Frostgard guards chuckled quietly.
Vendetta spoke calmly.
"They've already moved on."
"There is no reason to worry."
The convoy resumed its journey.
Chris didn't relax for the next thirty minutes.
Marco noticed.
"...Still nervous?"
Chris answered without looking away from the trees.
"I prefer monsters I can actually see."
Captain Bochy nodded.
"...A reasonable opinion."
---
Eventually...
The forest began to thin.
The trees opened.
Everyone looked ahead.
Far in the distance...
Countless lights illuminated the mountainside.
Frostgard.
The kingdom appeared even more magnificent at night.
Its enormous walls shimmered beneath moonlight.
Hundreds of lanterns glowed along the icy streets.
The castle stood high above the city, carved directly into the mountain itself.
Brilliant blue crystals embedded within the walls reflected the light, making the entire fortress seem to glow against the darkness.
Esabell gasped softly.
"...It's beautiful..."
Marco smiled.
"...Now I understand why no one has ever conquered this place."
Even Chris stood speechless.
For a moment...
Everyone simply admired the breathtaking sight before them.
Vendetta looked toward her homeland.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"...Welcome..."
"...to Frostgard.
The convoy continued its slow ascent.
The road became narrower with every passing minute.
On one side...
A towering wall of snow-covered stone.
On the other...
A steep cliff disappearing into darkness below.
The horses moved carefully, their breaths forming white clouds in the freezing air.
No one spoke much.
Only the sound of bells tied around the horses' harnesses echoed softly through the mountains.
Princess Flora sat quietly beneath her fur-lined hood.
Guinevere sat across from her.
Their eyes met for only a brief moment.
"...Princess."
Guinevere adjusted the edge of Flora's cloak where the wind had loosened it.
"You should keep this fastened."
"The mountain wind grows stronger higher up."
Flora looked down at the clasp.
"...Thank you."
Guinevere simply nodded.
Neither spoke again.
The silence returned.
---
Captain Bochy, riding in the sleigh behind them, noticed.
He leaned slightly toward Chris.
"...Have you noticed?"
Chris glanced ahead.
"The Princess and Commander guinevere?"
Captain Bochy nodded.
"They've hardly spoken since that night."
Esabell quietly lowered her gaze.
"...They used to be inseparable."
Captain Bochy looked ahead without turning.
"People change."
Even Vendetta, riding near the front of the convoy, remained unusually quiet.
The convoy continued along the narrow mountain road.
Frostgard stood clearly in the distance now.
Its towering walls shimmered beneath the moonlight, growing larger with every passing minute.
Snow drifted lazily through the cold air.
The only sounds were the steady footsteps of the horses...
And the runners of the sleighs gliding across the frozen road.
Then—
One of the Frostgard escorts suddenly raised his hand.
"Halt."
The entire convoy came to an immediate stop.
Marco's eyes sharpened.
"...What is it?"
The escort slowly looked toward the ridge above them.
"...Movement."
Vendetta calmly followed his gaze.
"...Stay alert."
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then—
A long howl echoed across the mountains.
AOOOOOO—
The snow covering the ridge burst apart.
BOOM!
A massive wolf-like creature leaped onto the road.
Its thick white fur was coated in layers of blue ice.
Every step left frozen footprints.
Another landed beside it.
Then another.
Within seconds...
More than a dozen Ice Wolves surrounded the convoy.
The horses reared nervously.
Several sleighs shifted sideways.
"Hold the reins!"
The Frostgard guards immediately rushed toward the horses.
Marco drew his sword.
"Formation!"
The Lumivale soldiers instantly formed a defensive line around the convoy.
Guinevere's lips curved into a faint smile.
"...Finally."
SHING—
Her sword flashed from its sheath.
Without waiting for another command...
She charged.
CLANG!
Steel collided against frozen claws.
The impact hurled the wolf backward.
Before it recovered—
Guinevere stepped forward again.
One clean strike.
SLASH!
The beast collapsed into the snow.
Chris laughed.
"There she goes."
"I'll take the left!"
He sprinted toward another Ice Wolf, meeting its charge head-on.
Unlike Guinevere's precise movements...
Chris fought with enthusiasm.
Every clash pushed both him and the beast backward through the snow.
Marco sighed.
"...Just don't get carried away."
He stepped into the battle himself.
His movements were calm.
Measured.
Every swing protected another soldier.
Every step controlled the battlefield.
Captain Bochy rolled his shoulder.
"...About time."
One Ice Wolf lunged straight toward him.
He waited.
Waited...
Then—
SLASH!
His blade flashed once.
The wolf spun across the road.
A second immediately followed.
Captain Bochy raised his mechanical arm.
CLICK.
CLICK.
The cannon locked into place.
BOOM!
The blast echoed across the mountains.
The Ice Wolf was thrown into a snowbank several meters away.
Smoke drifted from the barrel.
Captain Bochy glanced at it.
"...One shot."
He flexed the arm.
"...Few left."
Without another thought...
He returned to fighting with his sword.
One Frostgard guard blinked.
"...Interesting."
Captain Bochy answered simply,
"...Expensive."
Nearby...
Vendetta remained beside the sleighs.
She placed one hand against the lead carriage.
Soft blue light spread beneath it.
A transparent barrier surrounded the frightened horses.
Their panicked movements gradually settled.
"The horses first," Vendetta said calmly.
"If they panic..."
"The convoy breaks apart."
The Frostgard guards nodded.
Together...
They slowly pushed the Ice Wolves away from the sleighs.
The battle lasted only minutes.
The wolves were already retreating.
Then—
Everything changed.
One wounded Ice Wolf suddenly broke away from Chris.
Instead of escaping...
It darted between two sleighs.
The frightened horses pulled sharply to one side.
The narrow mountain road wasn't wide enough.
The sleigh carrying Princess Flora lurched violently.
The Princess caught herself—
But the movement forced her dangerously close to the edge.
The Ice Wolf saw the opening.
It lunged.
"Princess!"
Guinevere turned immediately.
Without hesitation—
She abandoned her own opponent.
Her boots cut through the snow as she sprinted across the road.
The Ice Wolf leaped.
Its jaws opened.
Guinevere reached Flora first.
She wrapped one arm around the Princess...
And shoved her away from the beast.
The wolf crashed into Guinevere's shoulder.
THUD!
Both women staggered toward the edge.
Their boots dug deep into the snow.
For a brief moment...
It looked as though they had stopped.
Then—
CRACK...
Everyone froze.
The snow beneath them fractured.
A web of cracks spread across the narrow ledge.
Marco's eyes widened.
"...Guinevere!"
The mountainside gave way.
The entire edge collapsed beneath them.
Princess Flora reached instinctively toward Guinevere.
Guinevere caught her hand.
Then both disappeared into the avalanche of snow.
"PRINCESS!!"
Marco rushed toward the cliff.
Chris cut down the last Ice Wolf blocking his path and followed immediately.
"Guinevere!"
Snow poured down the mountainside.
The blizzard swallowed everything below.
Nothing could be seen.
Nothing could be heard.
Only the wind.
Marco stopped at the broken edge.
His grip tightened around his sword.
"...Princess!!."
Silence settled over the mountain road.
Even the remaining Ice Wolves had fled.
Only the frozen wilderness remained.
...CHAPTER 117ENDS.