The Youngest Son of the Northern Grand Duke Wants to Break Off the Engagement-Chapter 74

"......?"
Alter swallowed his silence and looked at Brillie.
Considering the symbolism and value of marriage, it should be held in a peaceful and warm place.
But why did she propose to have the wedding in such a cold and grim place?
"I just have a feeling. If we return to the capital like this... I think things might get a little complicated."
"Why would things get complicated?"
"There's not really any particular reason. Maybe I just started to dislike the capital."
Brillie had faintly felt some peace while staying at Goranmoche Castle.
There were no social gatherings, no pretentious nobles to be found, and everyone simply carried out their assigned duties.
The silence and consistency of the atmosphere rather allowed her to enjoy a sense of relief.
"This place is not as comfortable as the capital. One must give up the daily life enjoyed as a noble. Surely you can't say you enjoy the cold?"
"I don't enjoy it, but it's not unbearable. The monsters are a bit bothersome, but I can handle them."
"Duke Illenat will oppose this. I imagine my father will feel the same."
"Alter, you really seem to dislike this place."
"How could I like it? I've been through a lot here, after all."
As a direct descendant of the grand duke's family, Alter had been guarding this place.
If he had not been entrusted with any responsibility, he would have sought to leave the northern lands by any means.
It was the source of the cruel curse, the place haunted by his mother's misfortune.
"...... I understand how you feel. It's only natural to dislike it."
"But it's still my homeland. It's also the battlefield my family's protected for generations. I suppose I can't simply hate it."
Alter replied indifferently and looked out beyond the snowy plain.
For a while, countless monsters had invaded Goranmoche Castle.
But now, only their corpses remained, slowly freezing over.
As cold and harsh as it was, it was nevertheless part of his family's history.
"Shall we head back down? It seems nothing else is coming."
"We should rest, even if only briefly. There's no telling when more might show up."
"Even after killing this many, more could come?"
"Let's hope not. But we should check on the situation at the other castles as well."
Alter slowly followed after Brillie.
Though they had killed a significant number of monsters, they could not let their guard down yet.
The snowy plains and mountains were so vast they couldn't be surveyed with the naked eye.
If there were monsters lurking everywhere in between, then their numbers would surely be considerable.
'How much longer do we have to fight until this finally ends...?'
* * *
After a brief sleep, Alter awoke late.
The campfire had not yet gone out, and more firewood had been stacked beside it.
He figured the soldiers or residents had left it there to maintain the warmth.
"... You don't need to sleep more?"
Brillie slowly opened her eyes and looked at Alter.
Her body still felt heavy, but it wasn't to the point where she couldn't move.
Now that the number of monster appearances was decreasing, it felt like things might soon come to an end.
"I think I've slept enough by now."
"It's warm, though. Maybe it's best to rest a bit more?"
"Yes. If you're tired, you can't fight properly."
Alter, still wrapped in his blanket, approached the fire.
Brillie blankly watched him for a bit and then sat next to him.
"Isn't this hard for you?"
"It would be a lie to say it's not."
"I can't lie either. Fighting this long isn't easy."
"I wouldn't have endured alone. It's because you helped, Brillie, that it's ended up this way."
Through repeated battles, Alter had come to realize that clearly.
Brillie's sword had never hesitated, only striking down her target.
On top of that, she adjusted her movements to match his, making things much easier for him.
"... Are you not afraid of me?"
"What part should I be afraid of?"
"Well... things like wielding a sword, or killing monsters?"
"It's something that has to be done. If that person is my partner, I must respect them all the more."
"Still... wouldn't a noble lady who acts demurely in a dress be preferable?"
Brillie revealed, completely, the lingering feelings she had held inside.
Perhaps Alter sought a classic noble lady for marriage.
Maybe he disliked a woman like her, wielding a sword roughly and behaving as she pleased.
"I have never seen a woman as proper as you, Brillie. Few women look good in formal attire, after all. And if that same person says she wants to protect me... isn't that almost too much?"
The crackling sound of firewood breaking came from the fire.
Outside, things were still noisy, but at least in this moment, they could ignore it.
Brillie tried to dismiss the fluttering in her heart, but it only seemed to beat faster.
"Brillie, you could find someone better. I'm small and weak, you know. Ever since I was little, I've been cursed and constantly sick. It's only through learning a little magic that I was able to do anything at all."
"... That's why I want to protect you. I have to be by your side. If you're left alone, you'll get hurt easily."
Brillie gently bowed her head onto her knees.
Then, gazing softly, she looked at Alter.
The orange glow of the fire illuminated Alter's face.
"I can't let go of you now. If I don't have you by my side, I keep worrying. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"So... is that why you fought by my side?"
"What if you got hurt fighting alone? What if you collapsed again, like before? Am I supposed to just wait until you wake up?"
"If you're just pitying me..."
"This isn't pity. I just want you to live as long as you can. You're my fiancé, aren't you?"
"......"
Alter couldn't avoid Brillie's gaze.
Brillie's eyes wavered with a soft, tragic light.
Perhaps the emotions she had been suppressing all this time now showed through her eyes.
"With you by my side, I can forget all the difficulties. Simply talking like this makes me feel at ease. Am I wrong to feel this way?"
"I don't think it's wrong. If you can find peace this way... um... that's a good thing, right?"
Alter could somewhat read the worry in Brillie's heart.
When they were in the capital, he collapsed twice, and before breaking the curse, he could barely move his body.
So, he must have seemed unstable, and if he was out of sight, it would only cause anxiety.
"That's why I'll protect you. That's my resolve."
Brillie slowly moved her left hand, bringing it to touch Alter's cheek.
Caressing him, she savored the feeling with her fingertips.
Because he was her fiancé, because he seemed so frail, she could not hide her longing.
"But in my eyes... if you were to get hurt, Brillie..."
"That won't happen. You know me, after all."
"Knowing doesn't mean I can accept it. You're my fiancé."
"......"
Brillie flinched and inadvertently met eyes with Alter.
His dark blue eyes were more resolute than ever.
No matter how much he trusted her, his concern came first.
"Even for my sake, you must not get hurt. Can you promise me that?"
"We already made that promise, didn't we? If I get hurt... I wouldn't be able to protect you."
Brillie spoke softly, subconsciously leaning closer to Alter.
Alter was swept up by the mood and tried to welcome her.
But urgent footsteps could be heard outside, followed by the door opening.
"Uh... You're both awake?"
"......"
"......"
Alter and Brillie stared silently at the knight, as if nothing had happened.
The knight paused awkwardly but soon continued speaking.
"A message came from the inner citadel. The other castles found no golems or yetis."
"Did they all gather at Goranmoche Castle?"
"The inner citadel suspects as much. Also... the number of undead and werewolves is steadily decreasing."
"Then, could this war be ending soon?"
"Um... There is a slight problem. A blizzard has begun to sweep through each castle. While the storm prevents the enemy from invading, the areas affected by the blizzard are expanding."
At the word 'blizzard', Alter involuntarily thought of a certain being.
The Frost Witch could indirectly command the monsters of the North, as well as control the weather.
Perhaps something related to the Frost Witch was causing this abnormal weather.
'The Frost Witch should be dead...'
Alter instinctively foresaw his own fate.
It seemed the remnants of the Frost Witch were still wandering the northern lands.
He didn't know why, but he could faintly feel her magic power.
'Maybe it's all chaos just to find me. Will she eventually come here?'
* * *
The Northern Army had stably suppressed the monsters' invasion, but the capricious weather was something they could not resist.
At some point, heavy snow began to fall, then fog rolled in, blocking their sight.
Before long, fierce winds whipped up, spreading the dreadful cold.
"The Frost Witch's soul remains."
"She foolishly took her own life—what could be so bitter?"
"She willingly walked into pointless destruction..."
"Shut up! I said shut up!"
As the voices echoed, the cold grew even more intense.
Snow accumulated thickly upon the ground, while beasts shivered and froze to death.
The blizzard, ever more biting, continued to devour the northern lands.
"She should have died... so why is she still alive?"
Only the strange voices filled the air.
Those who hungered for disaster in the northern lands were snuffed out by the powers of frost.
The lineage of frost—the previous successor could still not abandon her obsession.
"It cannot end like this. It mustn't."
If she had not borne a child, Uriel would have been perfect.
Yet she rejected her goodwill, and revived the child at the cost of her own death.
Only by executing that child could she finally complete her revenge.
"You are mine alone. I'll prove it. No one but me can prove it!"
Driven by obsession, the strange voices searched for her child.
Her bloodline, the faintest trace, is somewhere in the northern lands.
In other words, the child is alive—and has indeed returned to the north.
The attempt to sever them with a curse failed, but this time, she would surely fall.
"Uriel... you were wrong. Only when that child dies will you admit your mistake, won't you? Ahahahaha!"
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
The fuck?
Talk about obsessed.
【(⩌_⩌ )】