Asilia.
No.
The Master and Ian returned to where our companions were.
Step, step.
Footsteps echoing in the cave.
Memories of the Master’s teachings resurfaced. She had instructed him to not only focus ahead but also be aware of his surroundings.
He was curious.
What could she be thinking?
Unlike the times when she would embrace with maternal warmth at any opportunity, the Master’s furrowed brows now betrayed a mind deep in contemplation.
“Do you have something on your mind?”
“Mm.”
Indeed, she could be serious when the occasion called for it.
If her demeanor had been akin to that of a friend’s young mother until now, her current contemplative silence… exuded a sense of mastery to the point where he could almost feel her as the Snowflake Swordmaster.
‘I apologize for doubting.’
As he reflected on the doubt towards the Master, she spoke up.
“I’m deeply contemplating what I should teach my disciple first… ugh.”
Thunk.
The sound of her forehead hitting the rock echoed.
It seemed like she had collided with the stalactite above her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she rubbed her forehead.
“Trying to show some authority in front of my disciple and end up like this…!”
Indeed, she had her moments of clumsiness.
At times like this, he really wondered if she was truly the Snowflake Swordmaster…
Suddenly, Asilia lifted her face.
“Disciple. The Master is a remarkable person, you know? Shouldn’t doubt her, right?”
“Of course not.”
His gaze kept returning to her flushed forehead.
“… Disciple. You just doubted me.”
“No, I didn’t.” “The look in your eyes said, ‘Is this person really the Snowflake Swordmaster?’ Be honest.”
“…”
She’s quite perceptive.
An unexpected crisis of faith.
Thud.
Ian rolled his eyes, finding a plausible excuse.
“Maybe the stalactite was the best in the world.”
The Master’s cheeks puffed up instantly.
Just as the atmosphere, which had been heavy with the weight of the disciple doubting his master, was about to change, they arrived where their companions were.
“…But I’ll be the legal wife.”
Danya declared, looking at Lina.
“…Legal wife?”
Danya turned her head in response to Ian’s question.
Her eyes widened, and she bounced excitedly.
“Ian? Oh, when did you get here!”
Ian’s gaze fell on the book Danya was holding.
[The Duke’s Young Lady Wears a Leash Every Night]
“Ian? Uh, this, um…”
She hastily hid the book behind her back.
Danya’s face turned completely red.
Ian roughly guessed the situation.
‘She must’ve been acting.’
Theatrical performances were quite a major hobby in the Empire.
Many people enjoyed recreating scenes from novels as if they were acting in a play.
Come to think of it, “The Duke’s Young Lady Wears a Leash”.
Now that he recalled, there were many children among the nobles who enjoyed leashing. It wasn’t a discriminatory statement; it was actually true.
‘Paying attention to your surroundings really opens your eyes to a lot.’
This must be part of his Master’s teachings as well.
Ian nodded subtly and patted Danya’s shoulder.
“I respect whatever preferences you have.”
Swoosh.
Danya sank.
A strategic ally entered the war on behalf of Danya, who was completely defeated.
Smile.
Smiling brightly, Lina spoke up.
“You two seem to get along really well.”
“Uh.”
“Well, you see…”
Ian and Asilia looked noticeably embarrassed.
Watching them, Danya, who had been observing, suddenly perked up.
That’s right! Explain what kind of relationship you two have!”
Ears perked up.
Tails curled upwards.
With narrowed eyes, Danya seemed to have been suspicious about something with a hint of certainty.
But oddly, Ian seemed more uneasy about his master’s reaction.
“Umm…”
As she covered her lips with her hand, she pondered.
Why was she hesitating so much? What was she trying to say?
And this unease… it wasn’t just a trick of the mind.
“Would you say it’s a relationship in which we promised each other’s future?”
“Fu, future?”
“I, for one, have walked this path first with foresight, so I can fill in this child’s weaknesses. Ian is…”
Asilia smiled brightly at Ian.
“I just hope he treats me well.”
There was silence.
“Eh, ugh…”
Danya groaned.
She spoke up.
“S-So, you’ve made a marriage pact…?”
In Danya’s mind, essentially, marriage was the only deep relationship between a man and a woman. As Asilia blushed at Danya’s question.
“I-I mean… it’s not quite appropriate for your age…”
Ian felt the need to clarify the situation.
“Just a moment, Danya. I think there’s a misunderstanding here. We’re not in that kind of relationship…”
“Wow. Y-Your? Are we already at the stage where we call each other ‘you’?”
… This was getting ridiculous.
With each word, Ian gave up on clarifying the misunderstandings that piled up.
“But there is a big age difference…”
“Ian tends to be quite assertive in his seduction.”
“When did I…!”
“I-I can’t accept this relationship!”
“Don’t be like that, Miss Danya. As someone older, I can teach you a lot.”
“Eh?”
“Young people often miss out on genuine experiences that I can teach.”
Ian felt utterly lost.
Wasn’t the Master enjoying this from the start?
Just as that thought crossed his mind.
“Asilia. Enough with the teasing.”
Yerina’s voice came from behind.
◆
When Ian turned his head, Yerina was walking in.
As she tucked away the weapon she was holding in her hand to her thigh, Yerina spoke.
“I recall Asilia used to tease me like this when I was young.”
“Oh, really? You remember?”
“As I walked, some memories came back to life.”
But her tone remained unchanged.
She sounded like a dignified Duchess of the North.
Yerina glanced over this way and then opened her mouth.
“By the way, it seems the two of you have formed a different bond.”
… How did she know?
Yerina pointed to Ian’s collar with a puzzled look.
“A snowflake is drawn on your collar.”
Ian looked down at his clothes.
‘When was this carved in?’
As Yerina said, there was a flower-shaped snowflake engraved on it. When did his master carve this in? Her movements are often hard to notice.
“Miss Yerina, you’re still sharp as ever.”
“Sharp? It seems more like showing off one’s possession to anyone who looks.”
“Oh my. Yerina, did you also sense this child’s talent?”
“I did consider teaching a few things.”
“Hmm. What did you want to teach?”
Why did these two suddenly start fighting?
In the clash of the two masters, Ian’s skin felt prickly.
“To truly improve one’s skills, there’s no place like the battlefield. With the recent fierce fights on the border, I was thinking of taking him around for a few months.”
Ian inwardly sighed.
‘We almost got into big trouble.’
That side seems more formidable than actual university professors.
It’s fortunate to have Asilia as his master.
Scratch, scratch.
Yerina, tapping on the back of her head, started talking first.
“… Even if I didn’t solely rely on a mace as my weapon, I wouldn’t regret learning from you, the Snowflake Swordmaster.”
“Oh my. Thank you.”
“I mean it.”
Yerina shrugged and stood in the middle of the group.
“Rather, I’ve found out a few things by looking around.”
“You found out?”
In response to Ian’s question, Yerina nodded.
“I went out for exercise and climbed the cliff where this cave is located.”
What did he just hear?
Climbing a cliff where a snowstorm rage…?
Instead of being baffled, Ian decided to just accept Yerina’s words.
“After climbing up to a certain height and looking around, I could see it. It seemed like a huge array was spread out from this cave.”
“Array?”
“Yeah. That barrier-like thing at the entrance of the cave surrounds the snowy area. There were piles of corpses nearby. I’m not sure of the purpose, but it felt like there was some intention behind the array.”
Yerina’s expression turned serious.
Ian glanced briefly at his master.
She was focused on Yerina’s words without any change in expression.
“We’ll look into this gradually.”
Yerina continued speaking.
“The second thing concerns the escape route, Ian.”
“Yes.” “This place was Richard’s prison.”
“That’s correct.”
“In that case, somewhere in this snowy area, there must be a point connected to the outside. A prison must have fluctuations of energy.”
Ian nodded.
It was a logical deduction.
“I felt like this cave might be related to it. This place has many peculiarities. There’s not just bone-chilling cold, but there’s also a hot spring that could melt one’s body. Although it doesn’t seem large at first glance, there are many complex and deep areas. It seems like we need to conduct a proper exploration.”
Ian fell silent.
It wasn’t because he disagreed with Yerina’s words.
No. On the contrary, there was insight in her words.
Yerina may not be as revered as his master, but she’s undoubtedly a skilled expert from the North.
However.
The doubts arise from elsewhere.
Did his master really not know these facts?
What is the reason for the master’s presence here? Then, if she couldn’t find a way out. All the doubts stemmed from her.
Ian quietly looked at his master.
Asilia also looked back at her disciple.
Their gazes sank deep into each other.
Asilia’s lips parted slowly.
“I know the way out. But…”
She didn’t finish her sentence.
But Ian could understand what she swallowed.
Not everyone will be able to get out of here.
