Episode 162: The North #2
Duke Fervache’s Manor
Beyond the marble floors and the golden chandeliers illuminating the grand lobby, a staircase covered in a red carpet stretched upward. Portraits of past dukes and ornate candelabras adorned the walls.
Deeper inside lay the dining hall—a lavish space with a long walnut table and intricately crafted silverware. A chandelier made of crystal cast a soft glow over the room.
Dark red velvet curtains hung by the windows, and the walls and marble pillars bore engravings of Simeun, a rare northern ore, symbolizing the North’s strength. This grandeur completed the imposing dignity of the duke’s manor.
At the center of the dining hall, three figures—Yohan, Francia, and Duke Fervache—were engaged in conversation over a meal.
“So, my son-in-law, how is your health? Traveling all the way to the North must have been exhausting.”
The duke swirled his wineglass slowly, his gaze fixed on Yohan—not just in casual concern, but as if assessing something deeper.
“I couldn’t be in better condition.” Yohan replied with a small smile.
Duke Fervache chuckled, nodding in satisfaction.
“Good. Then I don’t need to worry. But still, be careful. There’s nothing more troublesome than getting injured or having things go awry at the last moment.”
Across the continent, there were still many Demonic lairs left to be purified, but within the Empire, the North was the last remaining region.
“We’ve come this far without any problems, and this time won’t be any different. I’ve done everything I can to ensure nothing goes wrong.”
Yohan had trained tirelessly and mastered numerous spells—not only to protect himself and Francia, but also to prevent the needless deaths of those around him.
The same held true for the purification mission. No knights would die. He had prepared for that, refining his skills relentlessly. A good outcome was inevitable.
“Hearing that is reassuring. I’ll leave the North in your hands.”
“You can count on me.”
Duke Fervache smiled contentedly. At that moment, Francia, who had been quietly listening, spoke.
“Once this purification is complete, the North will no longer be threatened by Demonic beast.”
While Demonic beast materials were highly valuable, they were not worth the lives of countless knights and soldiers.
“And with safety guaranteed, trade and migration will flourish, making the North even stronger.”
Although Demonic beast materials were a major source of income, the risks far outweighed the benefits. Besides, with the danger eliminated, there was no reason to regret it.
“You’re right, Francia. The Northern mana ore industry will expand, and more people will be willing to settle here once they know it’s safe,” the duke agreed.
In normal circumstances, the Imperial family might have intervened to prevent the North from growing too powerful. However, this time, there was no need for concern—Yohan Lahart was the Duke’s son-in-law.
“The Imperial family will likely let this slide.”
“Because of Yohan?”
The duke nodded with a satisfied smile.
“That’s part of it. But more importantly, the risks far outweigh the potential gains for them. We’re not planning rebellion or independence, are we?”
Turning House Lahart and House Fervache into enemies would be a foolish move. Instead, the Empire would choose coexistence and foster good relations.
“Besides, the North has never involved itself in central politics. We’ve always paid our taxes on time. Just because we’re growing stronger doesn’t mean the Imperial family will interfere much.”
The noble houses of the North were known for their cold yet noble nature. It was a long-standing principle they had always upheld.
“So in the end, they’ll probably just raise the tax rate?”
“Most likely.”
Either way, this was nothing but good news for the North.
“Well then—”
From there, their conversation lightened into casual chatter, making for a peaceful meal. Though trivial, it was enough to bring a moment of enjoyment.
After the meal, Yohan entered the duke’s office, where Enrique, the duke’s aide, handed him a document.
“This is the list of Fervache knights and reconnaissance teams who will accompany the purification mission.”
Yohan skimmed through the document while listening to Enrique’s explanation.
“We’ll handle navigation and divert the Demonic beasts’ attention. The routes have been carefully planned. You’ll hardly encounter a single Demonic beast before reaching the Demonic lairs.”
The positioning of the knights and soldiers was highly strategic, forming an arrowhead formation to draw out and distract surrounding threats.
“That means we can focus entirely on purifying the Demonic lairs.”
“Precisely. Though there is a chance a special-tier Demonic beast might appear…”
The duke interjected.
“If that happens, you needn’t worry—I’ll handle it.”
“You’re joining us, my lord?”
“Of course. This concerns the North, after all.”
With the duke present, the mission’s success was nearly assured. It might even go more smoothly than when they had the support of the Saintess and the Holy Knights.
The Fervache knights were known as the Empire’s finest, and Duke Fervache himself was an Transcendence mage.
“Knowing you’ll be there puts me at ease, my lord.”
Yohan smiled slightly.
“It’s reassuring for us as well. After all, we’re going in with the strongest mage on the continent.”
The duke chuckled.
“That concludes the report and operation briefing. The detailed information has been compiled in the documents, so I recommend reading them at your leisure.”
Everything was fast and simple.
The way the North handled matters was always to his liking.
“Then, I will now explain the operation to the officers as well. See you tomorrow at the expedition.”
***
The expedition to cleanse the demonic lair had begun.
As they rode on horseback, a sharp gust of wind brushed against their faces. The biting cold seeped through their bodies, freezing even the insides of their noses, while white breaths scattered through the gaps in their lips.
Yohan lifted his head and gazed straight ahead.
In the distance, the snow-covered mountains stood in immense silence.
The sky had sunk into a dull gray, and the wind cut through his lungs like a blade.
It was a place teeming with demonic beasts, yet the location of the lair itself remained untraceable.
Several investigation teams had been dispatched, but they had failed to gather proper information—let alone map out the structure of the area.
Yohan observed the snow-covered mountains with caution rather than curiosity.
Uncertainty always demanded the worst preparations.
‘I’ll have to expand my Omniscient Perception to the fullest.’
There was no room to let his guard down, even for a moment.
The less he knew, the more he had to focus on sensing his surroundings.
‘But what is this unease?’
Yohan gripped the reins tighter. A strange sense of incongruity crept over him.
Something was off.
He was missing something, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
‘The mountain?’
He looked at the looming snowy peaks once more.
It was clear that this unsettling feeling was coming from there.
But… it was vague.
The place was undoubtedly saturated with demonic energy, yet at the same time, there was a purity to the mana that seemed interwoven within it.
Like water and oil mixed together.
A paradoxical sight.
Something unnatural was there.
An invisible pressure, as if the mountain itself was holding its breath, waiting for intruders.
No matter how he thought about it, something was wrong.
“All troops, halt!”
Yohan raised his hand.
The officers pulled on their reins, halting their horses.
“What is it? We still have some distance to cover before we reach the lair,”
Elena, who had been riding beside him, asked.
“I feel something strange.”
“Where exactly?”
“That mountain.”
Yohan pointed at the snow-covered peak.
Elena followed his gaze.
“It looks like an ordinary mountain to me…”
“…”
It seemed that Elena wasn’t sensing the same unease.
Yohan narrowed his eyes.
That meant something—or someone—was intentionally manipulating the mana.
‘Could there be a relic hidden there?’
If an artifact were buried in that place, it would explain the overwhelming sense of incongruity.
After all, this was an unknown, unexplored region.
Even if the environment here was strange, it wouldn’t be surprising.
‘I need to be even more cautious.’
Yohan lowered his hand and shouted,
“Move out!”
He snapped the reins.
The sound of hooves filled the air as a white snowstorm billowed beneath them.
How long had they ridden?
Eventually, they arrived at a place filled with cracks in the ground.
“That is…”
Small fissures were scattered throughout the area.
Perhaps because the recent outpouring had just ended, no demonic beasts were emerging from them.
“What’s the current status?”
“All clear. The Fervache Knights seem to have handled everything thoroughly.”
That meant no demonic beasts had been sighted nearby.
“We’ll begin the purification immediately. Eris, I entrust the elite unit to you.”
“Yes.”
Yohan exhaled deeply and took a step forward. Crunch. The snow compressed beneath his feet, producing a soft sound. Though, the cold he felt was anything but soft.
He slowly reached out toward the rift. He needed to pour his mana into it to purify the dark energy and restore the fissure.
Wooong…!
Mana surged. Yohan closed his eyes tightly, focusing on the restoration. Since it was a small rift, the purification didn’t take long.
“Next.”
“Yes, sir.”
The escorting officers moved to another location.
Yohan continued purifying the rifts as he advanced.
No monsters had ambushed them yet. The Fervache Knights were skillfully drawing their attention elsewhere.
“Multiple special-grade beasts detected! They’re coming from the east!”
At that moment, three magical signal flares burst in the sky. That meant three special-grade beasts had appeared.
While restoring the rift, Yohan couldn’t move. His mind was at its absolute limit, focused solely on the task.
But there was no need to worry.
“Everyone, take cover!”
Kwaaaang—!
From a distance, Duke Fervache provided covering fire with long-range magic.
“Krraaaahhh!”
A beast in the shape of a massive predator let out a deafening roar and lowered its head. Seizing the moment, the officers charged in.
“Strike it down in one blow!”
The elite unit led by Eris showed their skill without question. Their honed experience and teamwork made for a swift and clean kill against the special-grade beast.
“Two more incoming!”
“Hold your positions!”
The officers formed a battle stance, ready to engage the incoming beasts. Meanwhile, Eris’s elite squad moved seamlessly through the chaos, methodically breaking down the enemy.
“Kurraaah!!”
One of the beasts, resembling a massive monkey, raised its arms. But before it could strike, a fireball shot through the air and exploded near its head.
Kwaaang—!
“Kurgh…!”
The officers didn’t miss their chance. They rushed in, slashing their swords and bombarding the creature with magic.
The special-grade beast was overwhelmed by their flawless coordination.
“They’re handling it well even without me.”
Feeling reassured, Yohan focused back on sealing the rift. The number of rifts had already been cut in half.
But then—
The ground suddenly trembled.
At first, he thought it was the wind. But soon, the earth itself began to shake and groan.
Kugugugugu—!!!
Yohan instinctively looked up. And then he saw it.
A massive wall of white, a snow avalanche, rushing down the mountain like a tidal wave.
“That’s…!”
From the direction of the snow-covered mountain—
“An avalanche!!”
A raging white storm was surging toward them. It was far too large to be stopped by magic. It was moving too fast for them to escape.
“Damn it! Didn’t the scouting team say there was no risk of an avalanche today?!”
One of the officers shouted.
“They did! There were no signs of one at all!”
“Then why is this happening?!”
“I… I don’t know either…!”
Panic spread.
Yohan, however, remained calm as he raised his hand.
“Magicians, take cover behind us! Everyone, construct elemental barriers! I will carve us a path forward!”
At that moment, several rupture points formed at his fingertips.
And then—
“…What is that?”
At the highest point of the avalanche, something stood there. A dark silhouette. Its shape was unclear, but one thing was certain—
It was alive.
And it was staring directly at them.