She looked at Winterbane, which I was still holding, and thought for a moment.
With her expressionless voice and complete lack of emotion, she somehow seemed even more intimidating.
“I understand the situation well enough. Let’s go.”
After that brief thought, she turned and led the way.
As an added bonus, the nobles who had been trying hard to look away began staring at me even more intensely.
Following behind her, I soon arrived at the audience chamber.
“I greet His Grace the Grand Duke of Bahen, Heart of the North and the Empire’s Unbreakable Bulwark.”
“Enough with the formalities.”
I greeted him according to proper etiquette, but the Grand Duke simply waved a hand and stopped me.
Luke Bahen.
He was someone I had encountered often even in the game.
The pressure he gave off in person was on an entirely different level from what I had felt through a screen.
Merely meeting his eyes once was enough to make my heart ache.
“You became the brightest star of the Subjugation Festival.”
“I was lucky.”
“Too modest. A man should show his ambition.”
Saying that, Luke Bahen rose from his seat and slowly walked toward me.
“I hear you made quite an adorable wager with Johan.”
“......”
“I am not scolding you. If anything, it deserves praise.”
Tap.
He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
The sight felt more out of place than ever.
“You seem to want something from Bahen.”
“May I say it?”
I slowly raised my gaze and met Luke Bahen’s eyes.
An overwhelming pressure bore down on my entire body.
But I had no intention of backing down here.
“Speak.”
“I want a stronger North.”
“......?”
“No matter what calamity strikes the North, Bahen will not fall.”
Luke Bahen gave a small nod as though that were only natural.
“But when you look at the North as a whole, it is different.”
“An interesting perspective. What is different?”
“The Monster invasions have quieted down, and the many houses of the North have grown complacent, settling into old habits.”
“And?”
His gaze remained fixed solely on my eyes, urging me to continue.
“But the threats are not over. Monsters are not our only enemies.”
The barbarians who had once ruled the North.
The Monsters gathering their strength.
And even the Demons who ruled over them.
The northern front had to withstand countless enemies.
‘If the North falls, that’s a destruction ending.’
The moment the northern front collapsed, we would effectively be heading toward destruction exactly as the original story had.
“So what do you want?”
“A northern alliance.”
Silence lingered for a moment.
In the suffocatingly cold stillness, Luke Bahen stared at me.
Then the corner of his mouth rose.
“Interesting.”
“......”
“One North, is it? The people in the central regions would be horrified if they heard that.”
Even as he said it, his eyes never left me.
I knew it was an excessive reward to ask for.
I also knew that it could cause problems.
“Still, it was not bad. A man of the North should have at least that much ambition.”
Luke Bahen rose and handed me something.
It was an elegant box embossed with the emblem of the Bahen Grand Ducal House.
“Open it.”
At his words, I opened it without hesitation.
Inside was a single orb.
Though only about the size of my thumb, an immense cold was condensed within it.
“An Ice Crystal. Your reward for winning the Subjugation Festival. If you wish, I can help you absorb it, but......”
He examined my body, then let out a short laugh.
“It does not seem necessary.”
“Thank you.”
“There is no need for thanks. It is only a fitting reward.”
This was another reward I had not expected.
I had been expecting a new weapon or perhaps a Skill.
I never thought I would receive an Ice Crystal.
‘Its efficiency for me right now is absurd.’
Cold Heart.
Frost’s Blessing.
The Bahen-style mana circulation method.
And now an Ice Crystal on top of all that.
I had obtained an essential Elixir right in the middle of building myself around cold.
“Normally, I would have given you a weapon, but......”
As he spoke, Luke Bahen’s gaze shifted once more toward Winterbane at my waist.
“We will discuss that sword again when you make the trade you mentioned.”
As expected, he seemed to know everything about the conversation Johannes and I had shared.
“I will hear more about that interesting wish of yours then as well.”
It worked.
“Anything else?”
It was practically an order to leave.
I bowed, then stepped outside.
Only then did the breath I had been holding finally escape.
“Whew.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. More than fine.”
It had been a gamble I made because I trusted Luke Bahen’s personality.
I had even obtained a reward I had never expected.
There was no reason not to be fine.
As I let out a quiet sigh, Larissa Bahen, who had followed us out, came into view.
“Is Ian strong?”
She looked at me for a moment, then turned her gaze toward Tarian as she asked.
“I do not know about now, but he will certainly become stronger than I am.”
“I’m looking forward to it. Ian.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Next time, make a bet with me too.”
With those words, she turned and walked away.
I watched her back for a moment.
“Already making promises for the future. You’re quite something.”
“You’re insane, Tarian.”
Anyone could tell her final gaze had been more predator than anything else.
It was almost like a fisherman telling a fry to come back once it had grown bigger.
“Whew. That was exhausting.”
“You worked hard.”
“You too.”
“I did nothing. Still, I am glad to see you have grown another step.”
I had certainly gained a great deal during the Subjugation Festival.
A mana cultivation method.
An Ice Crystal.
And even a connection with Bahen.
Just as I was about to head back while trading pointless remarks with Tarian—
-Little warrior, you have achieved your goal.
-I commend you for your growth.
‘Just praise?’
-Of course there should be a reward to match.
Frost Fang spoke in a whisper.
-Grow stronger.
-Until this North lies beneath your feet.
Its voice slowly faded after those words.
“All right, then.”
It was time to check the reward from the Pact.
And the moment the message appeared, my eyes widened on their own.
[You have successfully completed your Pact with Frost Fang (Rare).]
[‘Frost’s Blessing (C)’ is strengthened.]
[‘Frost’s Blessing (C)’▶‘Frost Benediction (C)’]
***
“Ha ha. To think such a hidden dragon was sleeping within our North.”
“Baron Rashid, have another glass.”
“Ha ha, thank you.”
After finishing my conversation with Luke Bahen and coming back out, I hurriedly looked away from the sight in front of me.
I felt bad for leaving something like that to my brother, but......
‘I doubt I’d be any good at currying favor with those people.’
Besides, the family’s prestige was rising nicely.
Still, not everyone looked upon me favorably.
“That nobody......”
“Maybe he used some kind of trick.”
A few noble youths, especially the promising ones who had participated in the Subjugation Festival with me, sometimes sent jealous looks my way.
“A trick? Are you saying I used a trick as well?”
“Y-Young Master Johannes, that is not what I meant......”
“Tsk. You would be better off spending that time improving your skill. I saw Ian’s ability clearly with my own eyes.”
Of course, Johannes quickly drove those people into a corner.
‘He really does have a good personality.’
On top of that, I had received Winterbane and Extreme Cold Art from him.
At least as far as this Subjugation Festival was concerned, he was practically my benefactor.
As I exchanged pleasantries with several nobles and built a few connections, I also listened to the rumors passing between them.
“The Monsters have been unusually active lately. Because of that, we lost several camps.”
“I hear Count Jikel’s house is trying to reclaim the mine they lost. Things have felt rather unsettled lately.”
“Still, we are fortunate to have talented children like Ian Rashid.”
I certainly enjoyed hearing praise for my talent.
But I listened more closely to the other conversations.
Who wanted what.
And how the situation in the North was changing.
‘There’s plenty I can use here.’
As I had already told Luke Bahen, what I wanted was a united North.
An alliance was not something you could create simply by telling everyone to work hard together.
The game had taught me that much.
‘It was easier to just empty my head and fight.’
More than once, everything had gone to hell because people got caught up fighting over their own interests.
So what I needed to do now was calculate what they could give me, and what I could give them.
And before long, the answer became clear.
At my current rate of growth, I could do it.
“Haa, it’s finally over.”
“You should return to your room and rest.”
“I should. Oh, could you stand guard tonight?”
“Are you planning to consume the Ice Crystal?”
“I am.”
Once we returned to the lodging, I sat calmly inside my room.
Tarian was already standing guard outside.
The conditions were perfect for consuming the Ice Crystal immediately.
《Skill》
[Normal] - Northern Swordsmanship (A+), Frost Step (A), Cold Heart (C+), Frigid Hide (B)
[Epic] - Extreme Cold Art (D), Frost Benediction (C)
‘So I’ve already come this far.’
A smile rose naturally as I looked at my now-impressive Skill window.
The effect I had gained when Frost’s Blessing evolved was especially remarkable.
[Frost Benediction (C)]
[Rank : Epic]
[Description : Frost Fang’s blessing protects you. Magical power efficiency greatly increases, and frost dwells within your mana. In addition, Frost Fang’s performance increases. Frost Fang inflicts the Curse of Bitter Cold upon its target.]
Frost Fang had already been close to a famed sword.
Now its performance had increased even further.
It might sound simple at first glance, but the difference was obvious once I actually used it.
‘It feels like an entirely different weapon.’
Even before, Frost Fang had been considered exceptionally powerful for a Rare-grade weapon.
Now it was nearly on par with an Epic-grade one.
And the simple freezing debuff had now changed into a curse that inflicted bitter cold itself.
It was a curse capable of freezing enemies outright if they lacked sufficient resistance and magical power.
‘Most trash mobs would freeze before they even touched me.’
Add the further increase in magical power efficiency, and I could not stop the corners of my mouth from rising.
The blade, which had once looked like nothing more than a carved icicle, sharpened until it resembled glass.
Shards of ice drifted around it.
I had not expected it to become this much stronger, so I could only be even more satisfied.
Of course, I had no intention of being satisfied with just this.
There were still more than enough swords left for me to form Pacts with.
“Whew.”
And this was not even the end.
There was still the Ice Crystal.
I opened the box again and picked up the thumb-sized crystal.
The moment I did, an immense chill spread through the room.
Yet thanks to my various Skills, it almost felt as though my magical power was increasing instead.
“Gulp.”
I placed the Ice Crystal into my mouth and swallowed it.
In that instant, an icy cold spread throughout my entire body.