93

The Black Wind of the Frostwolf tribe.

She was said to have united many tribes with her superior martial prowess, but the truth was a little different.

There was only one reason centuries-old proud tribes had become one.

Because of fear.

The fear that if they stayed as they were, the North would be left with nothing but death.

It was not easy to command patience and obedience from those paralyzed by terror.

Over the past three days, the Black Wind had felt that truth painfully.

But in the end she kept her promise to Hamel.

She repelled the undead assaults.

She suppressed tribes that wanted to attack the castle at will.

She even issued a pledge for those gripped by anxiety and fear.

She refrained from attacking Northwatch for three days.

The promised three days passed, and on the fourth day the sun rose.

Now it was time for her to fulfill the pledge she had made.

“You are prepared, I presume. Black Wind.”

The chieftains surrounding her glinted coldly.

Grrr

When the wolf standing as her guard snarled fiercely, several chieftains flinched.

The atmosphere grew even chillier.

“…Do you intend to break your promise?”

The chieftains hardened their faces and asked, then waited.

“No. I will keep the promise.”

She reached out and calmed the wolf.

Then the beast lowered its head to the ground as if deflated.

It looked at its master with pitiful eyes, but her resolve was firm.

“You all waited the past three days at my word. I express my gratitude.”

She stepped forward to the chieftains and knelt down.

Then she thrust out her neck and spoke.

“Now it’s my turn to carry out the promise.”

“….”

The chieftains looked at the Black Wind in silence for a moment.

Though the alliance was forced together, she had led the group well.

And she had never failed to keep her word.

Even if that meant…

Her life itself was at stake.

“If by the fourth day’s sun the outsiders do not return, I will give my head…” she had said.

One of the chieftains who had been watching her stepped forward.

“I’ll do it.”

Haven, chieftain of the Rock-Eaters.

The strongest warrior among the chieftains.

He stepped forward swinging his massive axe.

Haven respected the Black Wind.

Sending her on without pain was his courtesy and mercy.

“From now I begin the execution of Chieftain Black Wind! She drove the alliance into crisis with her wrong judgment.”

“….”

At Haven’s shout, the tribespeople looked at her silently.

There was no one who showed anger.

For there was no one who didn’t know she had done her best.

What they needed now was someone to take responsibility and a new leader.

Haven, who would cut her throat, would become the alliance’s representative.

And he would take a path different from hers.

“No longer must you tremble, fearing the night! Today we will march through that forest and advance on Northwatch!!”

“Wooooh!”

The wild men raised their weapons high and cheered in response to Haven.

They knew most would die from that advance, but still feared the nights to come more.

Knowing that, the Black Wind quietly closed her eyes.

“No regrets.”

Though it had failed, it had been a gamble worth taking.

In fact, after that there were no more monsters coming up from the shrine.

Perhaps they had truly vanquished the great evil lodged in the shrine.

“I hope so…”

If so, her death would not have been in vain.

Haven’s axe was raised high.

A blue aura blazed around the axe.

And just as it was about to be brought down.

Clang!

A sword that had appeared from nowhere shattered Haven’s axe to pieces.

The blade emitted a pillar-like radiance of light.

The man who had swung the sword stood as if to protect the Black Wind.

All the wild men fell silent in astonishment.

It wasn’t only because the man had appeared suddenly.

For the man’s presence matched the rumored visage that could silence even crying children.

An overwhelming power that shattered aura.

A form shining far more brightly than aura.

‘Sword form…!’

People call a swordsman who can unleash such a sword miracle this.

A Sword master.

“Rai… kard?”

The Black Wind, who had been bowed, murmured as she looked at the man before her.

Because the only Sword master known in these northern parts, feared by the wild men as a calamity, was Raikard.

But.

‘He’s young… and besides, one arm is…’

At that moment a strong sense of déjà vu flashed through her mind.

‘No? Then do you really believe you can destroy them, bringing along a one-armed knight and a girl?’

‘….’

He was one of the expedition members she had mocked.

“You are…!”

“Become heavy. Land. Dispel.”

At that moment the girl’s calm voice was heard.

“Aaaaah!”

Thud

And with a scream, people fell from the sky.

“You crazy little mage! Is that even flying? It’s a fall!”

“Didn’t the others land fine?”

“Those fellows had aura… whatever. Let’s not talk.”

There was a grumbling priest and a girl mage who said nothing.

A red-helmeted knight landed lightly and surrounded her.

And finally.

“Are you all right?”

It was the silver-haired priest who led the expedition.

He asked and reached out his hand toward the Black Wind.

“I’m a bit late. I’m sorry.”

“…The temple? …What happened to the monsters?”

Even in her dazed state, she asked the most important thing.

The priest smiled gently and took her hand to lift her up.

“It’s all over.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Thanks to your faith. The tribespeople are safe because of you.”

The Black Wind was unable to speak for a while.

And after a long time, only a sob-like murmur escaped her lips.

“…Thank you.”

“Yes.”

The morning sun rose high.

The clear sky shone warmly over everyone as if to announce that spring had come even to the North.

---

What followed was resolved smoothly and swiftly.

The alliance was maintained.

Still under the Black Wind’s command, they grew stronger and more cohesive.

As a result, it was natural; the Black Wind’s judgment had saved them.

In truth, from Glenval’s position defending the North, it might not have been a welcome outcome.

If the wild men’s power grew, it would naturally become a headache.

If there was a hopeful aspect, however…

“…I’ll eat it with my own hands.”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable without an arm? Say ‘ah’ quickly.”

Perhaps only that the Black Wind followed Rupert so noticeably.

Hamel, uninterested in such matters, didn’t notice, but borrowing Ono’s phrasing, it was like this.

“She’ll knock him down soon enough.”

“What are you saying?”

“You… never mind. Forget it.”

A long exhaled sigh was a bonus.

After Daniel kindly explained, Hamel also realized there was a strange chemistry between the two.

If the two were to become a pair, a new history might be written in the North.

Of course, this was not something Hamel, clumsy in political engineering, cared much about.

More than that, what Hamel noticed were his comrades’ achievements.

“Sir Rupert is one thing… but Sir Daniel too?”

“Well, clumsy as it was… they certainly reached it.”

Fighting the formidable gargoyle, they exceeded their limits.

And they stepped into a realm they’d never reached before.

Swordmaster.

Rupert and Daniel, for a very brief moment, succeeded in drawing out sword vigor.

Moreover, Lena, who had supported and fought alongside them, was said to have gained an awakening as well.

She was said to be glimpsing the state of a high-grade mage.

With a little more strength, she might even approach the Mage Tower’s Towermaster, Agnes.

Hearing all that, it no longer felt strange that they had subdued the gargoyle.

If anything, it would have been odd if they hadn’t subdued it.

“By the way, Ono told me… are you really all right?”

Hamel flinched at Daniel’s question.

Then he hesitated before speaking.

“I… don’t really know.”

“That power is…”

“Yes, it’s dangerous. Very much so.”

Through this incident Hamel once again realized the terror of the madness.

Overwhelming violence and freedom.

The mania that took hold after drinking the dragon’s blood was definitely different from before.

Unlike when it had eaten into him in the mansion, this time he felt a clearly alien presence.

It was certainly the ego of something other than himself.

“Thousands of years… that’s what it said.”

The thing, upon hearing Ono insult it, raged that it was an insult it had not heard in thousands of years.

That was certainly not Hamel.

Could it be…

“Could the dragon’s ego really have seeped into my body?”

Such a side effect was not in his father’s notebook.

Therefore Hamel only hypothesized it and had no certainty.

However, it wasn’t something to be overly terrified of either.

This time Hamel had absorbed Karaxiss.

From its heart to its blood.

Its bones and skin scales, everything without exception.

Thanks to that, Hamel realized the capacity to contain the madness within him had increased unbelievably.

He was already hard to regard as human.

“I am…”

He had become an existence closer to a dragon.

Now, to use the dragon’s power, he would not need dragon’s blood.

Of course, it might still function as a trigger and an awakener.

The dragon’s power was a part of him as well, so he could draw on it whenever he wished.

And, above all, he gained conviction.

That if he gathered traces of other dragons like this, he might become a complete dragon.

He was convinced he could cure the madness.

“To be able to survive…”

To Hamel, who had run forward driven only by revenge, it felt as if another choice had been given.

And surprisingly, Hamel felt a strong attraction to that option.

He wanted to live.

Hamel was clearly aware that he felt that way.

“Everything will be fine.”

Daniel, watching Hamel’s serious expression, snorted softly and tapped Hamel on the head.

It was a trivial comfort, but Hamel felt relieved.

Just as Hamel fought for the party, they risked their lives to protect Hamel.

How long had it been since he had felt protected by someone?

Hamel nodded, feeling a soft warmth.

“What are the plans going forward?”

Lena asked from beside him, sipping her drink.

“Well. First, we should stop by Northwatch.”

Raikard likely did not yet know the situation here.

If possible, they should visit the castle with the Black Wind to announce the end of the war.

And also to inform them that the threat in the North had disappeared.

“They’ll be shocked to hear we fought a resurrected dragon.”

Daniel murmured with an eager expression.

Hamel shrugged and answered.

“They may not believe it, though.”

“Well, if they don’t believe it, so be it. Honestly, I still find it hard to believe myself.”

Daniel chuckled and drained his drink.

The festival opened by the wild men continued late into the night.

Having slept a bit, Hamel and the others enjoyed the feast.

Lena, in a good mood, unusually prolonged her conversation.

“And after that?”

“I plan to return to my family.”

“You mean Haidern. I’ve wanted to go there too, the priest’s hometown!”

Lena laughed with an expression of anticipation.

“…?”

“…?”

Their reactions were a bit odd.

Hamel and Daniel exchanged glances simultaneously.

This was…

Hamel quickly snatched the cup Lena was drinking from.

The drink that looked like fruit juice gave off a faint scent of alcohol.

“So it was alcohol.”

“Huh? No, it’s not.”

Lena only shook her head for a moment.

Bang

Then she banged her forehead loudly on the table.

“…Even with increased mana, you’re still weak to alcohol.”

“If having lots of mana made you immune to drink, then the tower lord would be the world’s greatest drunk.”

Daniel simply burst into laughter at the situation.

Hamel shrugged.

He didn’t answer fully, but the reason for returning to his family was simple.

It was the cellar hidden beneath the mansion.

Because now they could confirm its true nature.

Surely the secret hidden there would provide a new direction for Hamel’s path.

Of course, he would not rush anymore.

He had realized how great a driving force the joy of being alive could be.

He had realized how much it made him stronger.

Hamel scanned the people before him.

The faces of the survivors were full of smiles.

From the old to the children, men and women alike, everyone was enjoying the night.

Moreover, they were grateful for this world and for life.

Watching it, Hamel gave a short nod.

Thus the final night of the long, long northern journey ripened away.