by Hyougetsu
Giant deer only inhabited the frigid fringes of North Rolmund. They had thick pelts, thicker fat, and were larger than horses. In order to hunt one, it was necessary to use a massive longbow, or a very powerful crossbow. However, the assassin’s bow was not that large.
“This is a warbow. More suited to sniping people than animals,” Barnack said.
“Indeed. So while the enemy took great pains to disguise themselves, they didn’t disguise their bows. Or perhaps they couldn’t. Because they were unused to using North Rolmund’s bows. Meaning these men were not hunters, but soldiers.”
Lord Doneiks dropped the bow onto the ground and covered it with snow.
“Hide the bodies and their equipment, Barnack. Then turn your cloak inside-out.”
“Yes, Milord.”
The dead were returned to the snow, while the living were covered by the white undersides of their cloaks. Both the living and the dead blended into the white background, disappearing from view.
The calendar of the Holy Rolmund Empire had a season known as fullwinter. It was the few coldest months in the year, and also the season where men of Rolmund proved their might by hunting large game. Because of the cold, it was the season with the least amount of animals to hunt, and the season that food was needed the most. So men competed to see how much meat they could bag to prove their worth. Nobles were no exception, either. But the game nobles hunted was much bigger. Giant deer were the most valuable prize one could bag during the fullwinter hunting season.
Lord Doneiks had been invited on a hunt by his cousin, Lord Kinitoff. It was there, at his hunting grounds, that Lord Doneiks had been attacked by assassins. Though his loyal retainer Barnack had barely managed to fend them off, the two of them were isolated deep in the forest.
“Kinitoff’s always been a simple man.” Lord Doneiks smiled sadly as he walked through the snow. “He actually thinks such slipshod tactics will be enough to prevent him from being exposed.”
“I realize Master Kinitoff is your main political rival, but I never imagined he’d attempt something as reckless as assassination.”
“Indeed. But the problem with fools is they’re unpredictable.”
“If only I’d predicted this sooner, I would have assigned more guards to you.”
Barnack kept a wary eye to his rear as he spoke with his master. Lord Doneiks smiled at him and replied, “No need to apologize. It’s precisely because I predicted this that I brought only you along to guard me, Barnack.”
Surprised, Barnack turned back to his master.
“Why would you do something so dangerous?”
Lord Doneiks wiped the snow off his cap and accelerated his pace.
“If I brought too many guards along with me, Kinitoff would grow wary. My foolish cousin is obsessed with the crown. I have no doubt he’ll eventually bare his fangs at my brother.” He turned back to look at Barnack. “It would be dangerous if he struck at a time in the future when my position is less secure. Which is why I purposely showed an opening to lure him into striking now.”
“That’s far too dangerous, Milord! The only guard you brought along was me, someone who’s barely been in your service for a few days!”
At that, Lord Doneiks guffawed.
“That’s rich, coming from you. But you are correct. However, the only way I could be sure Kinitoff would strike was if I brought only a single, recently-employed guard. Regardless of whether or not that lone guard was the renowned Sword Saint Ser Barnack.”
“I’m no Sword Saint. I’m just an inexperienced soldier.”
“How many ‘inexperienced soldiers’ could weave their way between the attacks of two snipers—on uneven, snowy footing no less—and take them down with just a sword?”
“The sword style I studied under, the Sashimael style, has produced exemplary swordsmen like Draulight. Compared to him, my arrow-cutting and knife-throwing skills are a far cry from the true Sword Saint.”
“In that case, I’m looking forward to the day you show me the skills of a true Sword Saint.”
Lord Doneiks smiled happily and resumed marching through the snow.
The two of them managed to escape their surviving pursuers and reach the center of the hunting grounds. Unlike the maintained areas around Kinitoff’s castle, these woods were full of dangerous creatures like wolves and bears.
“Milord, are you sure you want to go this way? I can’t protect you all by myself. We need to rendezvous with your other guards.”
There were around 20 of Lord Doneiks’ guards waiting at the cabin near the entrance of the hunting grounds. All of them were veteran fighters. But Lord Doneiks sat down on a nearby boulder and shook his head.
“That’s what Kinitoff’s expecting us to do. I have no doubt that he’s set up a large-scale ambush somewhere along the path back to the cabin.”
“Perhaps so, but this deep into the mountains we’ll be killed by beasts and the cold before the assassins even find us.”
Barnack was a master of fighting, but he was hardly an outdoorsman. Lord Doneiks pulled a map out of his pocket and pointed a few spots out to Barnack in the dimming light.
“From here, we’ll cross the mountains. My army’s waiting on standby for me beyond them. Officially they’re just returning from a routine drill, but they know we’re coming.”
“Beyond the mountains!?”
Barnack gazed up at the towering, jet-black spires jutting out of the earth in the distance.
“That’s impossible! The route’s long enough that we’d have to camp in the wild. And in this weather, camping in the open with our equipment will mean death!”
“Indeed. This season is not one suited to camping out.” Lord Doneiks chewed on a piece of jerky and took a swig from his canteen. “Which is precisely why Kinitoff won’t expect us to take this route.”
“But...”
Even if Milord is doing this to outmaneuver Lord Kinitoff, this is just suicidal. But as much as Barnack wanted to tell his master that, he could tell from Lord Doneiks’ expression that he wouldn’t be deterred. The lord offered Barnack some dried meat and his canteen.
“Sounds fun, don’t you think?”
“Not in the slightest.” Flustered, the young knight still gratefully took the meat and water. “But a few days ago, you saved my life and my honor. So now it is my turn to protect your life and your honor, Milord.”
Though he doubted the practicality of this idea, Barnack nevertheless found himself intrigued. Protecting his master from an unknown score of enemies, the cold bite of fullwinter, and vicious beasts was the most worthwhile mission he could ask for. Even if it was normally too much for a single retainer to accomplish.
“I must admit, if a situation like this does not get your blood boiling, you aren’t a true knight.”
“Exactly, see? The reason I initially saved your life was because I saw in you the mettle of a true knight. And I don’t just mean your skill with the sword.”
Lord Doneiks’ looked as calm and unshakable as always. Seeing his master’s confidence, Barnack began to calm down as well. As if I’ll perish here! As Barnack steeled himself, he suddenly felt very excited to tackle this challenge. On second thought, this does sound a little fun. The young knight took a swing from the canteen as well.
Lord Doneiks and Barnack began trekking through the snowy mountains. As they walked, Lord Doneiks told Barnack a story.
“According to history, the slave swordsman Draulight crossed the southern mountains in fullwinter during his escape. Not only that, but he led a huge party of malnourished slaves with him. Almost none of them died, and the survivors established a country called Meraldia far to the south.”
“I’ve heard.”
“What’s important is that his story proves crossing the mountains in fullwinter is possible. And these northern mountains are barely more than hills compared to the southern peaks. We should be able to manage.”
“You may be right there.”
Barnack was running out of energy to
argue back with his far too eager master. Realizing his bodyguard was no longer contradicting him, Doneiks continued.
“I’ve gathered as many documents as I can in my quest to discover how Draulight did what he did. And to my surprise, I’ve found that he actually left behind a manual detailing how to escape for the slaves he left behind. I’ve read through the entirety of this manual in case a situation like this ever happened.”
“How long ago was that?”
“I discovered the manual in my teens. But it took many more years to determine the veracity of the manual. Now though, I can tell you for a fact every word in it is true. Draulight had been a fearsome man. Just where had he come from, though?”
While Lord Doneiks’ curiosity had been piqued by Draulight’s tale, the real reason he’d put so much time into researching it was because of his prudence and foresight. Normally the emperor’s younger brother wouldn’t even consider the possibility that they’d have to imitate Draulight’s feat. But Lord Doneiks had prepared for any and every eventuality. His caution was so excessive that to Barnack, it was almost terrifying. The young knight watched as his master powered his way up the mountain slope.
“I had always thought mountain climbing was a skill that required more brawn than brain, but after reading Draulight’s manual I realized that knowledge is essential to survival. Knowing how to read a mountain’s geography, being able to predict the weather, and knowing what breathing techniques to use and what clothes to bring can make all the difference.”
A sudden realization hit Barnack.
“Does that mean the reason you gave me that underwear yesterday was because...”
“Precisely. The reason I gave you wool underwear was because I expected we’d be marching through the mountains today. Cotton and cloth get easily soaked by snow and sweat, making them unsuited for the cold. But wool is different. Even when wet, it helps retain warmth.”
“Unbelievable...”
As Barnack marveled at his master’s foresight, Lord Doneiks continued his explanation.
“The food you bring with you is vital as well.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well you see, you need bread, sweets, water, and fat to keep your strength up. Here, have some of this.”
Lord Doneiks offered Barnack a sugar cube. Sugar cubes were made from refined sugar beets cultivated in East Rolmund, and were highly expensive.
“Are you sure I can have this?”
“If you don’t eat it, your body won’t last. Even the Sword Saint can’t help me if he’s too weak to move, right?”
“Thank you for your generosity.”
Still half-doubting that a mere sugar cube would give him much energy, Barnack bit down on it. The sweetness spread across his tongue, and he suddenly felt a jolt of energy run through him. Next, Lord Doneiks pulled out a small, wrapped parcel.
“Eat this next.”
“What’s this?”
“Lard. I swiped it from the kitchens earlier. Sweets and fat are the two best foods to take with you on a long mountain climb. They’re highly nourishing, even in small quantities.”
“I see...”
“Salt is important as well, so I seasoned the lard with it. That’ll also make it easier to stomach.”
“Is that so?”
Barnack pulled a face as he stuffed himself full of salted lard. The seasoning didn’t make it all that much more palatable. Lard was the kind of thing you spread lightly on bread, not ate plain.
“Milord, do you have any more sugar? I think I need a palate cleanser.”
“You bet I do. Make sure you eat all of it.”
Barnack silently sighed, wondering what he’d gotten himself into.
Meanwhile, Lord Kinitoff was panicking.
“You can’t find him!? Are you sure he hasn’t tried to return here!?”
“Yes, sir. However, we did find the corpses of two of our assassins buried in the snow.”
“Who cares about that!? Hurry up and off that bastard Zweinei already!”
“Yes, sir!”
The scouts lost their opportunity to explain to their lord the significance of the corpses they’d found, and were forced to bow and leave. Lord Kinitoff looked back at the Doneiks manor. Twenty of Lord Doneiks’ best guards had been protecting it. They’d fought to the death for their master, and Lord Kinitoff was forced to bring an army of 100 to finally subjugate the manor. And of the 100 he’d brought with him, 40 died in the fierce fighting inside it. His losses were staggering.
“With how hard they fought, I was sure he was holing up inside the manor, but... Goddamnit, where did you go!?”
Though Lord Doneiks’ guards had all died, they’d succeeded in wasting Lord Kinitoff’s time, and slowing his pursuit. Lord Kinitoff glanced about wildly, holding his sword in a white-knuckle grip.
“That man is dangerous... We can’t afford to give him any time. If we don’t end him quickly, he’ll be the one baring his fangs at us! Hurry! Comb every inch of the hunting grounds if you have to!”
Around that time, Lord Doneiks was busy building with snow.
“What do you think? I tried to model it in the old republic style.”
“Is that so?”
Lord Doneiks packed in the last brick of snow into his snow hut. It was so small that the two men could barely fit inside it.
“Originally their snow huts had entrance halls and staircases, but we don’t have time for that so I kept it simple. I can’t make it any bigger either, or the cold will sneak in through the gaps.”
“Milord, the sun will set soon.”
“Then I guess I finished just in time. You keep watch outside, Barnack. I’ll prepare our dinner.”
“Dinner!?”
Barnack couldn’t tell if his lord had nerves of steel, or was just a fool. He stroked his sheath and sighed to himself.
“Milord, I cannot fathom what it is you’re attempting to do.”
“Food and rest are important enough that they’re worth risking our pursuers catching up to us. That’s all there is to it.”
After a few attempts, Lord Doneiks succeeded in starting a fire inside their hut. Barnack did his best to block as much light from the fire as possible, and looked up at the hut’s ceiling.
“If we’re attacked here, even I won’t be able to save us.”
“Don’t worry, the only thing nearby is snow. And this little castle of ours is made of snow too. You can’t even spot it from a distance. Besides, there’s going to be a blizzard tonight. Not even hunting dogs will be able to find our scent in that.”
“Are you sure there’ll be a blizzard?”
“In my time studying strategy, I also learned how to read mountain weather. I can guarantee you that there’ll be a fierce blizzard tonight. More importantly, the snow in our cups has finally melted. Drink up while the water’s still hot.”
Barnack sighed sadly as he picked up the cup of water Lord Doneiks had melted with a lit candle.
“I was wondering what the fire was for... But why melt the snow when we can just eat it as is?”
Lord Doneiks shook his head, his expression serious.
“No matter what happens, don’t do that. If you let the core of your body grow cold, you’re done for.”
“I see...”
A certain percentage of Rolmund’s serfs were exempted from military service, so there was no need for nobles to wait for after the harvest to start wars, since there’d still be enough serfs left to grow crops. Winter campaigns were harsh, so most battles took place in the time from spring to fall. Furthermore, by fighting wars during the planting season, generals could strategically target their enemies’ farms and starve their opponent out through the winter.
All of this meant that Barnack, like most other nobles, was unused to spending the winters outdoors. In fact, the only people who were used to it were hunters who specialized in fullwinter hunts. Which was why Barnack found it odd that Lord Doneiks was so knowledgeable about winter camping.
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“You really know everything, don’t you Milord?”
“If there’s something my enemies know that I don’t, that puts me at a fatal disadvantage. So I’ve made it my goal to learn as much as possible. That’s all there is to it.”
Lord Doneiks sounded neither proud nor embarrassed of his stance. He spoke of it as if it were just a matter of fact.
“Now then, let’s sleep while we can. The snow’s already started coming down outside.”
“How do you...”
Barnack parted the cloak they’d used as a tent flap to look outside and saw that the wind was indeed beginning to pick up. On top of that, small snowflakes were beginning to fall to the ground.
“This is definitely going to become a blizzard,” Barnack muttered.
“Yep. Anyone wandering around outside right now will definitely freeze to death. Assuming our pursuers aren’t morons, they’ll wait for the blizzard to stop before continuing the chase.”
“But what if they manage to reach us anyway?”
Lord Doneiks rolled over and replied merrily, “Then you and I will die here. But the empire will persevere.”
Barnack’s jaw dropped open in shock, but his fearless master had already fallen asleep and was breathing deeply. This is one hell of a noble I’ve sworn my services to.
The next morning, Barnack awoke before the sun rose.
“You up?”
“Yes, Milord.”
Before he could even work through his surprise that Lord Doneiks had awoken before him, the lord handed Barnack a lump of lard and a sugar cube, as well as some meltwater.
“The blizzard’s stopped. And the sun will rise soon. Our pursuers will catch up before long.”
“Then let us be away as soon as possible. We should be able to scale the mountain today.”
Barnack quickly washed the sugar and lard down with a glass of water. However, Lord Doneiks slowly shook his head.
“If there are any pursuers still on our trail, then they’re masters of their craft. If they’re just average trackers, then they’ll have given up and told Kinitoff that I probably died in the blizzard.”
