Chapter 288

Pale Run.

The name of a family that has wielded immense power for generations as the Grand Duke ruling the north and the Elector of the Empire.

Though they maintain a military alliance with the Empire out of fear of a beastman invasion, in the north, they are practically an independent kingdom.

The territory they rule is so vast that it’s called a Grand Duchy rather than a mere Grand Duchy.

Finally arriving at Pale Run Castle, the building was as majestic as their reputation suggested.

The double-layered stone walls looked indestructible, even against cannon fire, and defensive towers were scattered everywhere.

The towers and buildings inside also seemed more functional than decorative, with a stark, no-nonsense appearance.

It looked more like a military fortress than a grand duke’s residence.

I guess the strongholds of the border lords, like Landenburg, all have this kind of vibe.

I didn’t notice it much in the game.

Perhaps because the beastmen had retreated but the situation was still uncertain, soldiers in fur cloaks patrolled the walls, and four knights stood guard at the tightly shut main gate, exuding a sharp aura.

“Finally here… Even when we went to the capital, it was like this. Do I always have to endure these forced marches when traveling with you?”

“Hmm. You should ask the enemies about that.”

I don’t usually push myself like this when I’m free.

But when relying on horses and carriages for travel, such grueling marches are unavoidable for covering long distances in a short time.

In the game, there’s a travel airship developed later at the Magic Tower, but… that thing’s lore was a complete mess, so I’m not sure if it’ll actually appear.

Unless it’s demi-humans, I doubt humans, who haven’t even established the concept of engines yet, could create something like that.

—

As we approached the main gate, one of the knights on guard came toward us.

He wasn’t from the Imperial Knight Order but seemed to be a knight from the north, wearing a fur cloak emblazoned with the Pale Run family crest.

With his thick beard and facial scars, he looked more like a bandit than a knight.

The other knights gripped their sword hilts, ready to charge at any moment, and the soldiers on the walls aimed their bows at the carriage.

“Pardon me. Pale Run Castle is currently under the orders of Lady Freide von Pale Run, restricting entry to outsiders. If you wish to enter, please state your identity and purpose.”

For someone who looks like a bandit, his tone is quite polite.

Well, it makes sense. Even the coachman seemed to be a knight of similar rank, and the carriage itself looked quite luxurious.

Anyone would assume it’s the entourage of a high-ranking noble.

“Respect to the hunters of the north. We are Count Medean, a friend of Lady Pale Run, her escort knight Leonor, Priest Florence of the Shaulite Church Order, and Rain Wygris, former member of the Rose Cross Knight Order. We’ve come to offer support after hearing news of the north.”

The female knight sitting in the coachman’s seat flipped back her hood and gave a light salute.

Her name was Rain, huh? Since she never spoke, I didn’t even know her name until now. With a surname like that, she must be from a noble family.

“Medean…? Medean… Ah. Could it be, the Beastman Devourer of Ai-shan Gi-or…?! It’s an honor to meet you!!”

The northern knight, who had been tilting his head in confusion, suddenly jumped in surprise and saluted.

Beastman Devourer? What kind of nickname is that from when?

“It seems you’ve heard of me. Then, may we assume entry is permitted?”

“Of course! The princess will be delighted!”

…I doubt she’ll be as happy as you.

For someone who looks like he’d say, “Hahaha! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a woman!” without batting an eye, seeing him grin like an uncle fan meeting an idol was… hard to describe. It made me a little uneasy.

—

“Everyone, attention! The Beastman Devourer, Count Medean, has arrived!”

Sure enough, as soon as we entered the castle, this guy started shouting at the top of his lungs to announce my arrival.

The soldiers stationed inside and the northern refugees all turned to look at us.

Since I had to reveal my face for identification, I couldn’t avoid making eye contact with them.

“The Beastman Devourer…! The one who devoured the beastmen’s great warrior alive and drank their blood like water…!?”

[That’s an accurate description.]

Wait, when did I ever…?

…Oh, right. I did do that. I was half out of my mind from the fire back then.

“That beauty…? I heard she had twenty fangs and looked like a tiger?”

Twenty fangs? That’s not a person, that’s a beast.

It seems the rumors about me haven’t spread quickly in the north. The old rumors are still lingering.

“That outfit… Is that made from beastman hide…?”

“She made clothes out of beastman hide? Good heavens…!”

…Guess the beastman hide trend hasn’t reached the north yet. They’re freaking out over my coat.

Maybe they intentionally suppressed the trend.

Since the north is the source of beastman hides, if the trend caught on here too, it’d be harder to secure supplies.

“I read it in a book once. They say the Ka`har skin the people they kill and wear them like decorations! Are the beastmen the same?”

“…Really? Did they actually do that?”

[Are you crazy? They’re not savages. Why would they wear something so grotesque and disgusting?]

Well, I guess you’re right. The Ka`har I actually met didn’t wear any human skin decorations or anything like that.

That book of his doesn’t have a single piece of accurate information.

—

They—no, I—was momentarily shocked, but the locals’ reactions were mostly favorable.

Even the soldiers, who seemed to be part of the Imperial Army, were looking at me with hopeful eyes.

“Does the arrival of Count Median mean the civil war is over…?”

“I heard he’s a Marquis now. Maybe so? Perhaps reinforcements will arrive soon…!”

“I heard rumors that he defeated Marquis Valenstein… but can he really defeat that monstrous wolf…?”

Listening to their whispers, it seemed they hadn’t heard much about the current state of the civil war either.

I thought they might have at least heard about the battle on the Zeren Plains. But it seems the situation in the north is so bad that even that news hasn’t reached them.

Looking closely, there were even several wounded soldiers with bandages here and there, clearly showing signs of hardship.

—

“Welcome to Faelun Castle, Marquis Median. The Princess is waiting for you.”

After pushing through the crowd, I finally arrived at the inner castle of the Grand Duke’s estate.

Perhaps they had heard of my arrival, as an elderly man who seemed to be a butler was already waiting at the main gate.

Is this what the north is like? Even the butler seemed to be a former knight, his well-trained body visible beneath his butler’s uniform.

After handing the carriage over to the servants, I followed the butler inside the castle.

I couldn’t meet Freide right away and was first guided to the bathhouse.

Even though we’re friends, if you want to meet the young lady of the Grand Duke’s family in their main castle, you have to follow at least some etiquette.

—

“Ever since we entered the castle, I’ve noticed it’s warmer here than I expected.”

Before arriving at Faelun Castle, it was so cold that even with a thick coat, I had to use a warming scroll. But inside Faelun Castle, it was warm enough that wearing a coat indoors felt a bit too much.

So, all four of us had taken off our coats and were carrying them over our arms.

“Faelun Castle was built on a hot spring area. That’s why the temperature here is higher compared to other regions. We also use the hot spring water for heating and bathing.”

Was that the setting?

Now that I think about it, there was that ‘Heart-Pounding Mixed Bath Episode!’ in the game… or something like that.

—

“A hot spring bath sounds nice. Though it would be awkward if it were a mixed bath.”

It’s not just me—there are three other women here.

And one of them is even a princess.

“There’s no way that would happen. The Princess enjoys the hot springs too, but if it were a mixed bath, the Grand Duke would have split the stonemasons’ heads in half.”

The butler laughed heartily and shook his head, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke.

…Then what was that ‘Heart-Pounding Mixed Bath Episode!’ about?

Was Damien, the protagonist, actually sneaking into the women’s bath instead of a mixed bath?

No wonder there were so many duel scenes with the Faelun knights after that…!

—

The bath was more satisfying than I expected.

The tub, carved from rock and filled with emerald-green hot spring water, steamed gently, and through the open ceiling, the darkening night sky was visible.

It was an awkward time for bathing, so the only guests in the bath were the four of us.

Maidservants came to offer assistance, but they had to leave.

Florence and Rain refused, saying they weren’t of high enough status to receive such service, and I also found it too awkward to accept.

Leonor acted like it was no big deal, but since everyone else refused, she also sent the maids away.

So, the four of us enjoyed the warm hot spring together.

Rain kept refusing, saying how could she possibly bathe with Lady Leonor… but Leonor dragged her in, saying she was just a knight now, so it didn’t matter.

—

“Ah… It feels so good to wash away the fatigue. Don’t you think so, my lady?”

“…Yeah.”

Leaning back against the tub, I turned my gaze from Leonor, who was stretching, to the darkening sky.

…She’s really something. No wonder she’s Isabella’s daughter—her figure is just like hers.