IBDFSML Chapter 54

54

Half a day after leaving the Alpheon Mountain Range, we finally arrived at the northernmost border.

"That over there is the natural sea-wall fortress of northern Alcyone, Icevant.”

Diene pointed toward the massive fortress looming in the distance.

Icevant was a fortress carved out of snow-covered rock, standing tall upon the lofty snowy plains, braving the fierce blizzards like an impregnable citadel from a legend.

"W-wow, that's incredibly grand!"

I couldn't help but exclaim, overwhelmed by the sheer presence and power the fortress radiated.

It felt as if stepping inside that place would immediately trigger a massive genre drift.

One wrong move, and it seemed like all my fangirling and everything else would be tossed aside as we plunged straight into extreme survival mode.

'C-come on, pull yourself together… No matter what, I have to fulfill my duty as a fangirl fairy!'

Clutching at Sion's collar, I broke into a nervous cold sweat.

Avoiding the male lead and sneaking away on this "fleeing expedition" with Sion and Genevia had been the right choice, I thought… but with the developments getting more and more spectacular, I was starting to feel a little rattled.

"Let's go."

Diene led the way.

When we reached the fortress gate, Diene signaled toward the knights atop the wall. One knight, after confirming, shouted in a booming voice.

"Identity confirmed! Open the gate!"

Creak… thud—!

The thick iron gates slowly creaked open.

"Let's go."

With a nod at Sion, Diene stepped forward to lead the group inside.

The interior was every bit as bleak and desolate as the fortress's exterior.

"Indeed… Even though it's still the north, the atmosphere here is quite different from the Grand Duke's castle."

Genevia, the only one among us besides me who wasn't a native of the north, looked around and made her observation.

Diene smiled at that.

"This is the northernmost front line. It's mostly made up of knights from the First Order, their squires, and soldiers. Everyone here lives with a strong sense of duty, risking their lives every day against the demonic beasts."

As Diene had said, the knights guarding the fortress all carried a solemn and heavy air.

Their very gaze was distinctly different from the ordinary knights I'd seen back at the Grand Duke's castle.

Before long, several knights hurried over from within the fortress.

"Diene, you're back!"

"You look refreshed!"

"Did you bring anything for us?"

A flurry of warm greetings poured in for their comrade.

"Zyle, Cole, everyone's been well, I hope?"

Diene returned their greetings and exchanged familiar words with them.

After a while, the knight called Zyle turned his gaze toward us.

"But you've brought company. Who are they?"

At that, Diene dismounted, stepped forward in front of Sion's horse, and placed her hand over her left chest in the northern style of courtesy.

"Welcome to Fortress Icevant, Young Lord Luxior."

".…!"

"…!!"

The relaxed expressions of the knights instantly shifted.

Their faces turned solemn as they hastily paid their respects to Sion.

"I am Zyle Remet of the First Order of Knights. I pay my respects to the Young Lord of Luxior."

"I am Cole Nix of the First Order. Please forgive our earlier rudeness."

Sion dismounted. Handing his reins to a servant who approached to take his horse, he said.

"From today, I, Sion Luxior, will be joining the First Order. You can dispense with formalities."

The knights looked startled, glancing toward Diene.

Diene gave a firm nod.

"Believe it or not, this is a new recruit personally brought in by deputy commander Ulrich."

"…I see."

"…Ahh, understood."

The knights carefully sized up Sion and the rest of us.

Then the younger knight, Cole, suddenly blinked and said.

"Huh? Garen?"

"Been a while, Cole."

"Wow! How long has it been!"

Beaming, Cole pulled Garen into a rough embrace.

Once the greetings settled down, Sion asked.

"Where are the Commander and Deputy Commander of the Order?"

"At this hour, they should be in the inner office. Diene, escort the Young Lord."

"This way, my lord. Garen and the priestess, please come as well."

With those words, Diene flashed me a grin, the kind aimed at me peeking nervously out from behind Sion's collar.

Moments later, we entered the Commander's office inside the fortress.

There, a middle-aged knight with the build of a bull and a rough beard was discussing something with Ulrich Thurman.

"Commander, Deputy Commander. I, Diene Schuto, report my return to the fortress."

"Ah, at last you're here."

Ulrich Thurman broke into a smile when he spotted Sion among those Diene had brought.

"Young Lord."

The rugged middle-aged knight sitting behind the desk slowly rose to his feet at the mention of Sion.

He strode forward and greeted him with strict formality.

"…It gladdens me to see how you've grown. Have you been well?"

"Valdeor, it's been a while."

Sion answered him gently.

Watching the exchange, I suddenly recalled a part of the original story I had completely forgotten.

'That's right. Come to think of it… when Sion had only just arrived at the Grand Castle, he briefly had a sword master. The one who taught both the male lead and Sion swordsmanship was definitely named Valdeor. So it was him?'

Valdeor, the Commander, looked at Sion with eyes that carried both the fierce spirit of a tiger and the weight of many years.

When the blacksmith Kun Deman had looked at Sion, it had been like an uncle gazing fondly at his cute nephew. But the way Commander Valdeor looked at Sion now was the way a master regards his grown disciple.

"To think you've come all the way to this rugged frontier… I can see well enough that you haven't been neglecting your training."

"That's right. It's been meaningful time, though, admittedly, the past few years have been rather monotonous."

"Is that so?"

At Valdeor's remark, Garen spoke up on Sion's behalf.

"Since the year the Young Lord turned sixteen, I myself have been too lacking to serve as an adequate sparring partner."

"Oh-ho… so my judgment was correct, then. Even during the admission test, I suspected the Young Lord wasn't displaying his full ability."

At the revelation that Sion had already surpassed the skill of a fully qualified knight like Garen at sixteen, Ulrich Thurman studied Sion with keen interest.

Valdeor nodded with satisfaction.

"Both the Grand Duke's heir and you, Young Lord, have shown extraordinary talent with the sword since childhood. To have such disciples brings an old man like me nothing but joy."

"I may be gifted, but I am still only an inexperienced new knight."

Sion shook his head as he spoke.

A moment later, Garen handed over a letter brought from the Grand Duke's castle. It detailed the stipulations of Sion's current expedition.

"Hm… a one-year temporary expedition, is it?"

"The elders and retainers decided that on their own. It wasn't my will."

"Most likely due to the 1st Young Lord absence, then."

"I intend to remain here. Not as the Grand Duke's son, but as a knight in my own right."

At that, Valdeor asked.

"Is that the path you choose, Young Lord?"

"Yes. This is my choice."

Sion's expression was firm as he answered.

At those weighty words, Valdeor and Ulrich exchanged a brief look.

Then Valdeor, his rugged features softening with warmth, regarded Sion with the respect due a northern knight.

"This borderland is always in need of blades. Fortress Icevant welcomes you, Young Lord."

Following Valdeor, Ulrich Thurman also bowed with the courtesy of a knight.

I watched the knights' romantic, chivalric moment with shining eyes.

'Wh-what… this is incredibly cool…!'

And along with that, I felt I understood better why Sion desired to be a northern knight rather than simply a son of the Grand Duke's house.

These men shared a noble sense of duty and invisible bonds that those who only sought comfort and privilege could never have.

For Sion, who had always been denied for being an illegitimate child and grew up in loneliness, the path of a knight, seeking his mission and discovering his own worth, was the only true answer.

I looked up at Sion's face once more.

It was far more resolute and radiant than when I had first met him back at the Grand Duke's castle.

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