Chapter 38

Chapter 12 The Peculiar Itinerant Merchant

North of West Continent.

Snowflakes fell like cotton fluff, covering the ground in silver and blending with the sky.

On the broad road, over a hundred knights clad in shining armor walked through the frosty world, leaving behind a trail of clashing metal sounds.

In the midst of the long procession, a luxurious carriage sandwiched between them echoed with idle chatter.

“… Three to two.”

“Passed.”

“Passed.”

“Straight from eight to king, one card left.”

“Bomb.”

“… Little Hil, why did you blow me up? We were on the same team. You should have blown him up! He’s the landlord.”

Carlos, whose face was plastered with small paper notes, looked at me, similarly covered in notes, with a rather helpless expression.

“I don’t care. You blew me up last round.”

Hearing this, I hummed triumphantly and gave him an international gesture. This guy actually dared to blow me up last round; I didn’t care who the landlord was—I just didn’t want him to win so happily.

“… Two Five.”

“One pair of Aces.”

“One pair of threes. Does anyone else want to blow up? If no one does, then another pair of kings.”

Knight Captain Clar, who had been forcibly dragged into playing Landlord, maintained a calm demeanor and a detached gaze. Having grown accustomed to this scene, he felt no joy in the game anymore.

Although Clar was initially impressed by this game called Landlord when he was first invited, finding its rules interesting and believing himself clever enough to excel at card games, he also wanted to impress the beautiful Miss Silvijia. As a man, he hoped to win her favor through this opportunity.

However, after several rounds, he discovered a sad truth: regardless of whether he was the landlord or not, Miss Silvijia only targeted Mr. Carlos. Whenever Carlos lost, she would be happy regardless of whether she won or not. Even if he became the landlord, he didn’t need to think much and could just play casually, never having the chance to showcase his intelligence.

Clearly, he was just a filler, unable to attract the lady’s attention whether he won or lost.

Clar had accepted this reality. He was just a companion player, and all he needed to do was fulfill that role well.

Regardless, being able to get close to Miss Silvijia was still pleasing to the eye. Although she seemed young, her bright eyes and white teeth, along with her slightly melancholic face, made him feel heart-pounding desire as if he were experiencing his first love again.

He wondered which lucky fellow would eventually win her heart. Clar glanced at Carlos, another Papal Knight like Silvijia, and thought resentfully.

“Hey, hey, Little Hil, stop him! He only has one card left,” Carlos said, his attention entirely on the cards, his lifeless eyes occasionally glancing at me.

“You should fold,” I shrugged nonchalantly.

“If you can’t even fold on a pair of kings, what good is your bomb?”

“I want to.”

“Mr. Carlos, do you not want it either? Then I shall be rude.”

Clar played his last card, signaling the end of the round.

“I’m done playing. I’m done.” Carlos threw down the cards and pointed at my nose, “You have no sportsmanship.”

“Exactly. So what?” I picked up a small paper note, ready to stick it on his face, but Carlos quickly dodged.

“What, losing makes you want to cheat?” I complained loudly.

“Stick it on yourself first.”

“No, I want to stick it on you.”

The Knight Captain watched the childish antics of the two heroes helplessly and shook his head with a silly smile.

“Mr. Carlos, Miss Silvijia, if you don’t plan to continue playing, I’ll have to get off the carriage and lead the troops.”

“Oh, oh, sure, thank you,” Carlos waved his hand. After the Knight Captain got off, he turned excitedly to me, “Little Hil, did you come up with this way of playing?”

“Mm, sort of,” I responded vaguely, not wanting to explain further and changing the subject, “Are we in the Valen Empire?”

“Yes, we just passed a watchtower, right? That’s where the border checkpoint is,” Carlos pushed the pile of cards away and leaned comfortably on the seat, “The Church has special entry channels. The one we’re using now is one of them. As long as you have a pass, it saves a lot of trouble. When we reach the Winter City, I’ll get you one too. Make sure to keep it safe. Losing it will be troublesome.”

“Mm. How far is it?”

“At our current speed, it might take us another ten days or so if everything goes smoothly. We’re not far now.”

“Then, isn’t it, more than half a month?”

My face immediately fell, and I kicked my feet listlessly. It had already been more than a month since we left the Emerald City. There had been almost no time to rest along the way. Despite the beautiful scenery, as someone who had experienced the internet era, this month had mostly been spent either in the carriage or on the road.

Nearby, at this moment, there was an air of a secluded and aggrieved woman.

Previously, having often traveled by plane, I didn’t feel much about it. But now, it suddenly dawned on me how great an invention it truly was.

Carlos tilted his head to look at me, noticing my dejected expression, he seemed quite amused.

“Is something wrong? Do you feel impatient?”

I nodded pitifully towards him.

“Really lack patience, then why don’t you go down and walk with the knights?”

“…”

Alright, it might be good to get some fresh air.

I tightened the shawl around me, glared at Carlos in defiance, and then pulled back the curtain and jumped down.

The cold wind hit me squarely, instantly tousling my hair, making the tips brush against my face, tickling slightly.

I raised my hand, hooked my little finger through my hair, and swept it behind my ear, revealing my delicate earlobe.

“Miss Silviga, why have you come down?” The captain of the knights was quite surprised to see me step out of the carriage, “The weather in the Northern Territory is very cold. You should go back, be careful not to catch a chill.”

Hearing this, I smiled at him and gently shook my head.

“No, I’m not cold. It’s stuffy in the carriage. I’ll just walk around.”

Joking aside, being close to the Frost Order, how could I possibly feel cold? Rather, the more such icy weather, the more comfortable and familiar it made me feel.

Moreover, my body seems like it won’t get sick either.

“Oh, then be careful. If you feel unwell, return to the carriage quickly.”

The captain looked at me with genuine concern. I laughed inwardly. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder if my appearance made others think I was a frail girl. This led the captain to completely overlook that I am a knight of the Pope.

Why can’t I have a burly male character like one who would shout “RUA”?

Now, not only am I not a burly man, but I’m also quite effeminate.

With a disheartened look, I lowered my head. The snow underfoot wasn’t deep, crunching as I walked.

I exhaled a white mist and looked up at the sky.

The sunlight hid behind dark clouds, giving everything a hazy and dim appearance.

We could probably walk a bit longer before settling for the night when it gets completely dark.

After all, they and Carlos were ordinary people, without carriages. The knights often train their physical strength and can still chat happily, but the currency merchants already looked quite weary. Without rest, it might affect tomorrow’s journey.

“The next town is quite far away; we won’t make it today. We need to find a place to camp soon.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Miss Silviga, is this your first time in the Valen Empire?”

The captain seemed a bit awkward, even showing some unease on his face, which made me smile inwardly.

I held out my palm to catch the falling snowflakes, ready to respond, when suddenly a flash of light struck my mind, like an electric shock. Familiar scenes flashed rapidly before my eyes, like slides.

I stood still, a vague emotion welling up inside me, my vision briefly losing focus.

This unusual sensation passed swiftly, and I subconsciously covered my forehead.

What? Just now?

The images flashed too quickly to remember… It seemed like a rough, large hand had touched my head at the last moment.

A gentle touch, what was that?

I don’t recall this person in my memory.

As I gazed once more at the vast snowy landscape, a surreal sense of familiarity rose within me.

Suddenly, I felt like… I might not be here for the first time…?

“Miss Silviga, are you alright? Is anything wrong?”

“I… I’m fine.” I shook my head.

Snowflakes continued to fall onto my open palm, quickly melting away with the warmth of my body.

“Perhaps you should return to the carriage.” The captain said worriedly.

“Why?” Carlos poked his head out from the carriage.

“Nothing. Maybe… my eyes are playing tricks on me?”

I tilted my head, showing him a puzzled expression.

“…Snow blindness?”

“Probably.”

“Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and get in.”

“Okay.”

But perhaps I had been in the carriage for too long and was experiencing hallucinations.

I lifted my foot, ready to get in, when I noticed a knight rushing toward us from the front of the group.

“Captain Clarl, there’s someone ahead.”

“Somebody? Who?”

“They seem to be a group of merchants from Silgaya.”

“Silgaya merchants? At this time? On this path?”

Silgaya was an agricultural powerhouse, exporting mostly agricultural products. Trade activities should have ended a month ago. This was considered the off-season. Why were there still merchants heading to the Valen Empire?

And… they were using the Holy Church’s exclusive entry route?

Strange.

“Captain, they seem to be in trouble. Should we help them?”