Chapter 44.2

“Should I retire and take up farming too?”

“There must still be some vacant land near the villages or towns!”

Even soldiers in good physical and mental condition were openly tempted.

Contrary to the general perception on the continent, being a farmer was considered the best job for commoners in the North.

Farming didn’t require risking one’s life.

Jobs like hunting, lumbering, mining, or herding always carried the danger of avalanches or monster attacks.

In contrast, farming near villages or towns was relatively safe.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Moreover, the North had low taxes.

“What’s going on here, Sir Theo?”

“I don’t know, Bill. But one thing’s for sure—it all looks pretty good.”

Bill, a soldier who had lost both legs, and Sir Theo, a knight who had lost an arm, wore similarly bewildered expressions.

Bill rode in a wagon, while Theo walked on his two legs, constantly turning his head to take in the surroundings.

The countless cheering crowds, flower petals, and strange but pleasant blessings were overwhelming. But what truly set their hearts racing were the potato fields scattered everywhere.

“But with my legs like this, I can’t even farm,” Bill muttered bitterly at one point.

“What was that?” Theo asked.

“Nothing, haha…” Bill laughed awkwardly, his voice drowned out by the thunderous cheers.

As he smiled sadly, Bill’s hand brushed the dagger hidden in his pocket.

He resolved silently to eat his fill at tonight’s banquet before slitting his throat.

Even the most tenacious life would end with a slit neck.

Bill thought this to himself as he tried to savor what might be his final parade.

The expeditionary force that had marched north for a preemptive war reached the gates of Renslet Castle, stopping just before the inner fortress.

The cheers, chants, and flower petals that had followed them all the way from the great wall began to fade as they entered the inner city.

‘Is that Sun? He’s enormous. That poor horse looks like it’s struggling.’

Standing atop the castle wall, I gazed at the legion commander of this expedition, known as the Northern Ice Wall—Commander Sun.

‘He’s got a very different vibe compared to Sir Balzac.’

As I stood there, observing Sun and the expeditionary force, my eyes met Sun’s for a brief moment.

“…”

Sun looked up at me without a word. His rough, imposing features made it feel like he was glaring at me, even though he was simply looking.

“…?”

Our eye contact lasted only a few seconds before it ended. It wasn’t that either of us turned away; the marching soldiers simply carried Sun forward, breaking the connection naturally.

“How do you find it, boss? Seeing another Northern powerhouse, Sun, in person?”

Next to me, Sir Eote spoke up. He was serving as my escort for this welcome event, though these days, he felt more like a semi-official employee of Arad Company.

“His presence feels even more intimidating than Sir Balzac’s.”

Given our professional relationship, I naturally spoke to him informally.

“Haha, they both have distinct personalities,” Eote replied, agreeing with my assessment.

“What kind of person is the Northern Ice Wall?”

“He’s a good man. He cares deeply for his subordinates—he remembers the names and faces of most of the soldiers under his command.”

“That’s impressive. Is his main weapon a shield? I didn’t see him carrying anything other than that huge shield earlier.”

“Yes, that’s correct. That’s why he isn’t listed among the Sword Masters. However, both Her Highness and Sir Balzac recognize his abilities as equal to those of a Sword Master.”

“I’d like to see him in combat someday.”

“You’ll acknowledge his prowess when you do, boss. There’s a reason Her Highness entrusted this expedition entirely to him.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s surprising. Given her temperament, I would have expected her to join the expedition herself.”

Typically, monarchs would accompany large armies to prevent commanders from harboring rebellious ambitions.

Sun’s loyalty, however, was evident, as was Arina’s bold decision to entrust the legion entirely to him.

“When Her Highness insisted on avenging the late Grand Duke, it took considerable effort to dissuade her,” Eote explained, his answer veering slightly from the typical concerns of rebellion or loyalty. Instead, it focused on avenging the late Grand Duke’s death during a previous expedition.

“Whoever convinced her made the right call. If she had joined, it would have likely ended up like the labyrinth incident.”

The previous Grand Duke, Baikal Rune Renslet, had died about three years ago during an expedition.

I’d heard he fell in battle against a heavily armed orc unit clad in steel and magic, a force unlike anything the North had faced before.

‘The North’s advantage against the extreme northern orcs had always been their advanced weapons, forged from Northern Steel. But that balance of power was shattered…’

Even a child could tell the Empire was behind the orcs’ sudden acquisition of steel comparable to Northern Steel.

‘The steel they used is suspected to be Imperial Steel, rivaling Northern Steel in quality.’

This latest expedition had begun only a short time after Baikal’s death, barely giving the North time to regroup.

‘Given their luck in not encountering the fully armed white orcs this time, their return is nothing short of miraculous.’

The fact that this expedition returned safely after just 18 months—despite typically taking three years—spoke to how hastily it had been launched, driven by the need to resume the campaign halted by the Grand Duke’s death.

Revenge was undoubtedly the primary goal.

‘I heard they avoided encountering the white orcs, which is why they survived.’

The soldiers and knights outwardly expressed frustration at missing their target but were likely relieved deep down.

“Let’s head inside. As the organizer of this banquet, I should see the reactions firsthand, don’t you think?”

“I’ll lead the way.”

“By the way… Mary’s not attending, is she?”

Just as I prepared to head to the inner fortress, I found myself once again wondering about Mary’s absence.

“She mentioned something important she had to handle and took a week’s leave.”

“Right, she did. Hmm… what a complicated young woman.”

“We’ll have to understand and accept it.”

Both Eote and I had similar suspicions about Mary’s background, so our conversation flowed smoothly without misunderstanding.

‘Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen Mary and Arina together…?’

A fleeting but unsettling thought crossed my mind.

‘Even if Mary is an illegitimate child, knowing Arina’s character, she wouldn’t treat her harshly…’

If anything, Arina seemed more likely to cherish her.

Pondering this, I proceeded into the inner fortress.

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