NOVPUBIn the depths of the Land of Perpetual Night, Little Night City.
Lanci had helped Siegler finish writing a letter.
Now they had just left the hotel, ready to send the letter at Little Night City and continue their journey.
As the two of them stepped out of the hotel lobby, the sky’s brief daylight had faded, with only the endless night once again enveloping the city-state.
The streetlamps exuded a soft yellow glow, casting light on the damp sidewalks, leaving a crisscross of shadows in the snow.
A cold breeze brought a slight chill, blowing through Siegler’s somewhat disheveled bangs beneath her beret as she clutched the letter she had just written in her hand. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
This was the most satisfying letter she had ever written.
"Turns out, learning to write isn’t so bad."
She looked up at Lanci, entertaining this thought for the first time.
"Isn’t it?"
Lanci replied with a smile as he glanced over at her.
"Speaking of which, having someone like you teach me things would certainly be expensive under normal circumstances,"
Siegler added.
She now believed what Mr. Secretary had told her before they set off.
The true identity of their employer must be of significant nobility in the Palante Empire.
If it weren’t for this business deal that brought them together, there was no way he would condescend to spend his time teaching a street urchin like her.
"It’s always been free. You’re at the age for compulsory education, and I have a responsibility to clear up your questions and help establish the right outlook on life and values and so on,"
Lanci said, looking straight into Siegler’s eyes, assertively,
"If there were no war, I wouldn’t have to rush about. Teaching kids to read and draw at the Church seems like a pretty good life to me."
"…"
Upon hearing his words, Siegler no longer looked at Lanci and fell silent for a long time.
The two of them passed through the streets of Little Night City, walking past brightly lit shops and benches under the dim yellow streetlights, occasionally hearing muffled music from taverns.
"If only the Palante Empire had more people like you,"
She said, looking ahead down the road.
"Meow."
Cat Boss curled up in Lanci’s arms, tilting its head to look up at him.
It realized that in the stable and prosperous times of the South Continent, Lanci had no need to utilize his talents, but with the unrest in the Northern Continent, his abilities were finally being put to use.
If in a dire world like the Shadow World, such people as Lanci were truly the most needed...
"Don’t worry, I’ll make sure there will be more and more people like me in the Palante Empire,"
Lanci naturally smiled and answered.
"I hope so,"
Siegler replied.
Cat Boss: "…?"
It looked back and forth between Lanci and Siegler.
If an idealist uttered those words, it would just be the normal way of placating a child.
But if the progenitor of an Evil God were to say them, Cat Boss couldn’t analyze the meaning.
As they chatted, it wasn’t long before they arrived at a place where they could send letters in the city-state, a stone building marked by history.
Lanci waited for Siegler as she quickly went to the counter to complete the dispatch form.
Afterward, the two headed towards Little Night City’s station.
Once they retrieved the Mystical Deer of the snowfields and their carriage, they would be ready to embark on the last leg of their journey through the Land of Perpetual Night.
…
The midnight on the snowfields of the Land of Perpetual Night has always been called the snowy grave of the winds.
In ancient legends, to become the King, one must traverse such a road full of snowy thorns and icy winds.
This is a trial, as well as a test.
"The throne is covered with thorns and windblown snow; to tame it, one must be entwined with vines and buried by the blizzards."
Lanci recited to Siegler an epic poem of valor that he had heard in the present world, though he knew not where.
"How come I’ve never heard it before?"
Siegler always felt she knew too little.
"Well, you might hear about it much later."
Lanci pondered for a moment. This was actually an epic poem from that era in the present world about an ancient hero who possibly had not yet become famous in this age of the Shadow World.
Since they had departed from Little Night City, approximately more than ten hours may have passed.
In any case, it was a long time.
It was so long that both Lanci and Siegler could not discern how much longer it would take to see the borders of the Demon World.
In the silence of the deep night, even the moonlight seemed to quietly recede, and every second became slow and protracted.
The snowfield hundreds of kilometers outside Little Night City was swallowed by the night, with heavy snow flying about. These ice crystals, as if scattered by an invisible giant hand, were bone-chillingly cold; they danced with the wind and eventually sank into the snow, forming a hazy world.
The Mystical Deer were strong and agile. Their antlers shimmered with a faint glow under the moonlight, as if stars had fallen from the night sky.
"We should be close."
Siegler looked into the distance, tightly holding the reins as she spoke.
According to plan, they should see the Demon World by dawn.
Under this pitch-black night, the sled pulled by the snowfield Mystical Deer left a dim trail on the snowy ground.
In the front row of the sled, the short-statured Siegler was diligently observing the terrain to navigate.
Her face appeared especially rosy in the cold wind, as she drove the sled through the barriers of wind and snow, following the rhythm of the Mystical Deer to stir up layers of white waves on the snow.
"It feels like it’ll be at least another two to three hours before dawn."
Lanci said, analyzing the map in the dim moonlight.
His gaze alternated between the distant snowfield and the girl steering the sled in the front seat, engaging in conversation with her.
Despite the lengthy time, he hadn’t fallen asleep.
This was an area that Siegler had never been to before. Even if she could find the right path, since it was far from the Beastmen City-States and out of the protection of the Beastman Great Lord, and close to the Demon World border, danger could arise at any time, requiring utmost vigilance.
"When the time comes, make a quick return to Little Night City. I’ve asked the Great Lords along the way to look after you; you can stay at the place we stayed before without having to scrimp and save," Lanci added.
It was a journey of over ten hours from Little Night City to the borders of the Demon World.
On her return, Siegler might end up driving for more than twenty consecutive hours. Despite her strong physique and willpower, she needed a good rest.
"..."
Siegler did not respond to his comment right away, nor did she nod.
The sound of breathing mixed with the night wind, accompanied by the rhythm of the Mystical Deer’s running, created a unique noise.
"Rocky, you’re really amazing."
Siegler suddenly said.
"Why do you say that?"
Lanci curiously asked.
"I’m not marveling at your talent."
Siegler watched the road ahead, speaking to the person in the back seat.
These days, she had come to understand to some extent.
Rocky McCarthy, having left the comfortable and prosperous Helsaray, had journeyed through the snow for the Beastmen, repairing Temples. In doing so, at this critical moment, he contributed his strength to the Palante Empire.
Indeed, Siegler saw with her own eyes this Master Craftsman gradually improving the Beastmen Lords’ favor towards humans.
Even after his departure, for a long time to come, the Beastman Great Lords would likely be more amicable towards humans passing through their City-States, and perhaps even sincere.
The changes may seem inconsequential to the Palante Empire’s war efforts or the battle against the Blood Clan, but if everyone chooses not to act, nothing will change at all.
A cloudburst needs the accumulation of countless raindrops.
In other words, talent alone is not enough; changing hearts also requires courage.
The two were isolated from the world on the night’s snowfield, yet in the front and back of the sled, they seemed especially close.
The sled continued through this silent, silver world, with snowflakes fluttering and the night breeze humming, heading towards the far-off Demon World for the last leg of the journey.
