Would she not go on her own and become a captive assassin, or suddenly disappear to the south? At least, it seemed like her tolerance for danger was high.

Thump, thump.

Meanwhile, the footsteps grew closer. The ground-shaking vibration and the magnitude of the sound confirmed this.

“Damn. Is it coming this way?”

Brody’s gaze was fixed between the slightly open blanket that Aidan had arranged to keep watch. She would have liked to look more closely, but Aidan was holding her tightly, so she couldn’t move.

Thump.

A leg as large as a tree appeared between the trees. Thump. Then the second leg appeared.

Now it was time for the third and fourth legs to cross alternatively. However, the remaining legs didn’t appear right away.

Instead, Calihiel lowered his sleek black neck to bring his fluffy white wolf face close to the ground.

Half the view of the ground and sky disappeared from Brody and Aidan’s sight, replaced by an all-white profile.

The beast sniffed the ground.

It was just the act of smelling, but the snow piled on the ground and the fallen leaves hidden beneath were pushed by its breath, momentarily floating in the air before falling down.

Aidan and Brody held their breaths.

Even Brody, curious as she was, felt a tingling dread seeing the enormous creature up close.

Aidan held her tighter in his arms.

Both seemed ready to move at a moment’s notice; their muscles taut with tension. Brody also bit her lip and held Aidan even tighter.

“What is it looking for?”

Aidan was certain as he looked at Calihiel. This being was searching for something. Its movements were greedy and obsessive.

Calihiel’s large nose began to root around the hill where they were.

It seemed only a matter of time before they would be discovered.

“Damn it. Of all places.”

Aidan bit his lip in a sense of defeat.

Why here, of all the vast places? He didn’t want to go where the other knights were. If he were alone, he’d gladly act as bait to protect the knights.

But what about Brody?

Brody, who came to this dangerous northern land because of him?

And to encounter such an unbelievably ancient and dangerous being.

Anger surged, his heart pounding.

He pressed his lips close to Brody’s ear.

“I’m sorry. Just bear with it for a moment.”

“Huh?”
Startled by the soft movement that tickled her ears, Brody was even more surprised by its content. Endure, what?

The question didn’t last long.

Soon, a chill began to creep into Brody’s body.

“……!”

But unlike before, unlike when she had confronted the princess, it was not as if something had torn through her body and spread like a stone rolling through her veins.

Rather, it felt like a perfectly fitted suit of cold air had been draped around Brody’s body.

Either way, it was equally torturous.

Feeling her breath scratch her throat, Brody slowly froze. She became completely immobile.

Aidan carefully laid her down, covering her with a blanket.

Thus, Aidan stood fully revealed in front of Calihiel, and Brody became entirely invisible.

Brody shivered, feeling terror.

‘Your Majesty, what are you trying to do? You’re not trying to lure Calihiel, are you?’

The cold was cold, but being unable to see or move at all was frightening.

In this situation, being completely excluded and unable to move at will was terrifying.

Naturally, Calihiel soon spotted Aidan.

Aidan stood tall, covering the spot where Brody was hiding.

Calihiel’s icy blue eyes fluttered as they scanned Aidan up and down, left and right.

The murmuring air began to speak to him.

[You……?]

Aidan could understand the resonance of the air.

He nodded as if confirming Calihiel’s suspicion.

Then Calihiel spoke again through the moving air.

[This energy, a child of Hieldieta, was it Mason? You are different from the child I knew. What year is it now?]

“Imperial Year 771.”

[Ha, Imperial Year. To have to bear that damned calendar in my ears.]

The vibrating murmur intensified to the point where it felt like it was lashing his flesh. Calihiel’s anger was transmitted directly through the skin.

Being human, the amplitude and intensity were unbearable, but Aidan was the person closest to Hieldieta, so he could endure.

He even felt fortunate.

Calihiel looked surprisingly fine.

[So nearly eight hundred years have passed… No wonder so many things felt strange.]

After muttering to himself, Calihiel spoke to Aidan again.

[Good. If you are her child, I can expect honest help. I am looking for Cloria. If you have any information, tell me.]

“Cloria… Lord…?”

A cold sweat trickled down Aidan’s back, belying his expressionless face.

Not every mad being looks mad.

That is, he could be mad in ways that are not visible.

[You don’t know? Hieldieta’s only lover. She had beautiful horns. Ah… Even if time has passed, it’s strange that Hieldieta’s child does not remember Cloria.]

Aidan bit his lip.

The horned woman, Hieldieta’s only lover, Cloria… It had to be ‘that Cloria.’ Any thought that it might be someone with the same name was utterly discarded.

Cloria had long since become a figure of history. She had turned to ash and returned to the bosom of nature…

‘Has he gone mad? To the point where he can’t even acknowledge her death?’

Aidan’s heart began to tremble. He felt he understood.

What if Brody were to die like that because of him? Could he avoid going mad?

He understood Hieldieta.

And so, he resolved even more to protect Brody with his life, as he subtly moved his hand towards the hilt of his sword.