65
It had been about three hours since we departed from the Icevant Fortress.
After silently trudging across the snow-covered plains, we finally arrived at our destination, the western outer outpost.
'…Or so I'd like to say, but the reality's a bit…questionable.'
"Um… This is the outpost, right?"
From my perch on Sion's shoulder, I leaned forward and asked in disbelief.
"……"
"……"
Both Sion and Theon stared wordlessly at the shabby building before us.
Unlike the fortress walls, this place looked as though it had long been neglected, weathered down by countless storms over the years. It was in such poor condition that I couldn't help but wonder if it could even function as an outpost anymore.
Sion scanned the surroundings and muttered.
"There's no sign of the previous guards."
"Eh… Could something have happened to them?"
"Let's go in and see."
Taking the lead, Sion stepped into the outpost.
A prickly sense of unease crawled up my back, and I clung tightly to the nape of his neck.
The door to the outpost was half-open, and a thin layer of snow had drifted inside.
The fireplace was cold and unlit, and there wasn't the slightest trace of anyone's presence.
Just then, Theon, who had gone around to check behind the outpost, called out in a low voice.
"…Sion. Over here."
"…!"
Where Theon stood, the snow was splattered with blood.
"Ugh! T-that's blood, isn't it?"
I asked in a panic.
Sion carefully knelt down and examined the bloodstains and the surrounding traces.
Then he murmured quietly,
"It looks like there was a battle here. But… there are no bodies."
"Since we've found the outpost, let's search within a ten-meter radius."
At Theon's suggestion, Sion nodded.
As a result, we soon discovered two knights and several demonic beasts half-buried in the snow nearby.
Sion silently studied their bodies, clicking his tongue, his face darkening.
"W-what is it?"
I asked nervously. Sion said gravely.
"Judging by the wounds, both the knights and the lower-class beasts were attacked and killed by something else."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Theon added calmly.
"In other words, a higher-class demonic beast must have killed them. One strong enough to take down skilled knights and a pack of lesser beasts in one blow."
"……"
My jaw dropped open.
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be just a simple scouting mission?!
"…And, with high probability, that thing is still lurking somewhere nearby."
Sion and Theon exchanged sharp glances.
"We should move before it's too late."
"I agree."
"Wait, so we're going back now?"
I asked, a bit too eagerly.
Sion answered firmly.
"No. If we retreat now, the creature's tracks will be buried under the snowstorm. If we lose them, there's no telling when it might damage the barrier or claim more lives."
"Sion's right. And if that beast crosses this boundary, it could bring harm to the northern people."
I gasped, covering my mouth.
"Then… you're saying we're going on a chase right now?"
Theon gave a faint, amused smile.
"Something like that, Fairy."
"……"
And so, we thoroughly searched the surrounding area around the outpost.
I buried myself deep inside Sion's coat, grumbling as I prepared for whatever monster might leap out at any moment.
"This is just insane… A demonic beast fight, and now a chase too… What happened to the romance part of this story, huh…?"
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the snowstorm grew even fiercer as night began to fall.
"It'll be impossible to continue like this."
Theon said, glancing up at the darkening sky.
The visibility was shrinking fast, and snow was falling relentlessly, making the idea of a pursuit seem laughable now.
Sion stopped as well and spoke.
"Let's head back for now. We'll resume the chase at first light."
"Agreed. We'll have to spend the night in that outpost."
We turned our eyes to the old, half-collapsed structure where the wind whistled through gaping cracks in the walls.
Just looking at it, I could tell it was not going to be a peaceful night.
"Look, I know you two are strong and all, but if we sleep in a place like this, won't we all freeze to death?"
I said, genuinely worried. Sion glanced around the interior and stopped in front of the old, broken fireplace.
"There are traces of ashes, seems like it was used not too long ago. It should still work fine."
"Really? Then let's light it up already!"
I eagerly hopped forward and gave the fireplace a few enthusiastic pats.
But Theon interjected.
"Once we light it, there's a chance the creature might ambush us. We have to take that into account."
"That would actually make things easier. Nothing wrong with that."
I looked around.
"Wait… what are we even going to use for firewood? There's nothing here!"
At that, Sion quietly stepped outside, and soon came back, dragging the corpse of a low-level demonic beast.
"Ew."
Theon stood up, brushing the snow off his cloak.
"I'll go and bury the knights' bodies. They fought and died for the North, they deserve to return to the snow with honor."
Sion gave a small nod and began tending to the fire.
I alternated my gaze between their backs, tilting my head slightly.
'…Hmm. Sometimes, they actually work surprisingly well together, don't they?'
A little while later, by the time Theon returned, the fire was burning steadily.
The warmth slowly spread through the once-frozen air inside the outpost.
Having been wrapped in Sion's body heat like a living blanket until now, I peeked my face out toward the fire.
"Ahh… finally, I can feel my soul thawing…"
Outside, the blizzard still howled violently.
The rickety door and window frames rattled with every gust, but Sion simply leaned back against the stone wall with his eyes closed, while Theon sat opposite him, silently watching the fire.
The soft crackle of burning wood filled the silence, almost soothing, a cozy ASMR against the storm outside.
Before long, my eyelids began to droop.
'No… I can't fall asleep… I have to… protect Sion… in this wilderness… mngh…'
I was barely clinging to consciousness when...
"Sion, do you remember?"
Theon's low voice broke the quiet.
"The year you were eight, and I was eleven. We used to train every morning together under Commander Valdeor."
Sion didn't respond, eyes still closed. But I knew he wasn't asleep.
I could feel his chest rising and falling behind me, steady, controlled, deliberate.
He was just pretending.
'Ooh, this atmosphere… this is one of those serious brotherly moments I probably shouldn't interrupt…'
Even without a reply, Theon continued softly, his tone almost nostalgic.
"That year, the commander finally allowed us our first sparring match with wooden swords. You were so fired up, you put too much strength into your swing, the rebound hit you right in the face, and your nose started bleeding."
A faint chuckle escaped Theon at the memory.
As if lost in nostalgia, Theon's gaze drifted off into the distance.
Then, after a long silence, Sion spoke, eyes still closed.
"…It wasn't me who got a nosebleed. It was you, brother."
"……!"
Theon froze for a moment, startled by Sion's sudden reply.
After a pause, he gave a faint nod.
"…Was it? I suppose my memory's a bit hazy after all these years. Still, I distinctly remember my little brother tearing up with a bloody nose that day."
At that, Sion's eyes opened slowly.
Turning his head toward Theon, he spoke in an icy, cutting tone that made my skin prickle.
"There's no need to discuss something so trivial. It's just an old memory, one that's better left forgotten."
Theon's eyes flickered faintly at that.
"…I see."
Lying still, I thought silently to myself.
Sion… that was a capital T for Thinking.
The air in the outpost grew heavy, silence pressing down like the snow outside.
In the original story, Sion and Theon's relationship had never truly mended.
The only reason they ended up working together in the latter half of the novel was because they both cared deeply for the same person, the heroine, Genevia.
'So right now, when Sion and Theon barely even have the familiarity of next-door neighbors… yeah, the odds of them ever reconciling are basically zero.'
Still, Theon was the only person who could be called Sion's family.
That thought left me with a twinge of pity.
'What a shame, Theon Luxior. You really brought that one on yourself. Who told you to hurt Sion that badly in the first place? Hmph.'
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