MTLNOVEL 27
“Feels like I’m dying…”
It was literal. My legs hurt so much that I couldn’t even feel them anymore. With blurry eyes, I looked around. The world looked like it was covered in dirt.
I never imagined riding a horse would be this exhausting. The horse was the one running, so why was I the one suffering? On top of that, the uneven terrain was making me nauseous. Ah… someone, please save me.
“Just hang in there a little longer.”
After whining until my throat went dry, Kyle spoke from behind me in an attempt to comfort me.
Of course, it didn’t help at all. Just thinking about spending several more hours on horseback made me want to cancel Reload right now and roll around in my hamster house.
Ah, my fate. My tiring, wretched fate.
As I held onto the reins with a gloomy expression, a loud caw rang out above my head. The northern crows circled in the sky, crying ominously.
“Why are they making such a racket? What a bad omen.”
“…Do people normally say birds ‘bark’?”
“If they’re making noise, they’re barking. Same thing.”
I replied absentmindedly and turned my gaze forward.
After passing through the plains beyond the castle, we reached a dense forest of coniferous trees. The terrain wasn’t great, and there were occasional ravines, so the horses had to move in pairs, forming a line.
“There’s no need to worry too much.”
Kyle spoke in his usual curt tone. He must have noticed how dark my expression was.
“This is only a scouting mission with new knights. We’ll lightly survey the forest area and return. Unless we’re heading out for a full-scale hunt or investigation, we rarely go beyond the smaller mountains.”
“Smaller mountains…?”
Were all the hills frozen to death? If they were any smaller, we’d all fall to our deaths together.
Clicking my tongue, I glanced at the sheer cliff stretching out a few dozen paces ahead.
“What’s beyond that?”
“You mean in terms of beasts?”
“Oh, no. I was just wondering if there were any villages or anything like that.”
Kyle chuckled, as if I’d said something absurd.
“The only livable land in the North is Blake’s territory. Well, I suppose there is a village of beasts.”
“…That’s really not the kind of news I wanted to hear. Then, geographically speaking, what’s out there?”
“Beyond this forest, there’s a vast plain filled with chunks of ice and rock, so we call it the rocky ice field. Beyond that is another large mountain range, and further still, the sea.”
As the fierce wind blew, Kyle instinctively raised his sleeve to shield my face. It was a natural, effortless gesture, as if such small considerations were second nature to him.
I tilted my head back slightly and glanced up at him. Despite the biting wind, he didn’t so much as blink. He must have been used to the cold.
“Beyond the frozen sea, we rarely venture. Not only is it difficult to reach, but what awaits there isn’t exactly pleasant.”
I mean… if the sea is frozen, it’s still just a sea, right? Finding that odd, I asked him,
“Why? Is it some kind of lawless zone?”
“Yes. It’s a land beyond the Meinhardt Empire’s control. Even I would have to guard my life there.”
Just what the hell was out there?
As I mulled over various possibilities, the system, which had been silent until now, suddenly chimed in to provide an explanation.
[The region beyond the northern sea is known as the ‘Territory of Mages.’]
Territory of Mages, huh. The name sounds rather dignified…
But judging by Kyle’s expression, it clearly wasn’t. Well, I could think about it later. It wasn’t like we were going there today.
“Your Highness, should we take the northeast route?”
At the voice from behind, Kyle halted his horse briefly to assess the path.
The road ahead split into two directions. One led uphill to the northeast, while the other descended into a canyon to the northwest.
The mere mention of ‘northeast’ caused the knights to stir. A wave of unease spread through them, carried by the wind.
Kyle spoke in a heavy tone.
“The wyvern nest in that region has yet to be dealt with. Moreover, since it’s their breeding season, we will avoid the northeast. Everyone, take the western canyon detour!”
…So a detour meant it would take longer, huh?
I checked the Reload timer with a sinking feeling.
[Reload will be deactivated in 20 minutes.]
I couldn’t just disappear in the middle of a canyon. I had to hold out somehow… Looks like I was about to burn through my miracle points. Ah, my poor life.
Quickly, I accessed the Nut Shop and bought a cookie.
[Long-Lasting Acorn Cookie | Consumes 1% Miracle Points | Extends Reload duration by 1 hour]
[Current Miracle Points: 25.0%]
Let’s at least keep it above 20%. Please, Duke, move a little faster. If we could get back to the territory within six hours, that would be perfect.
As I stole a glance at Kyle, I pulled the cookie from my pocket and took a bite. The crunch of it was louder than expected, and Kyle glanced down at me.
“…Why are you sneaking around to eat?”
Damn, his hearing is way too good. Just pretend you didn’t notice, man.
“This is my lifeline.”
It was pure, 100% sincerity.
“You really say the strangest things.”
Of course, Kyle took it as a joke.
I was being serious, though. That acorn cookie was something I practically bought with my life. It tasted nice and nutty, but once I finished eating it, my mouth felt a little dry…
“Well, in any case, I can’t share.”
Kyle’s crimson eyes stared down at me, his expression one of mild disbelief.
“I don’t need it. More importantly…”
He gently grasped my chin and turned my head to the side. I mumbled, “What is it?” but Kyle, still holding my jaw, adjusted my line of sight.
“There. Do you see the thicket?”
My wandering gaze settled on something glinting within the bushes. A few pairs of round, shiny eyes stared intently in our direction.
They were small, furry creatures that would fit snugly in my two palms. Bigger than mice but smaller than puppies, with little round ears and tiny horns poking out from between them.
I had never seen such an animal before, yet somehow, it felt oddly familiar…
“Northern field mice.”
Excuse me?
“When they reach maturity, magic stones tend to form in their hearts, making them look like that. They’re on the smaller side for northern beasts.”
No way. If a mouse is that big, then it’s already huge.
“They’re relatively docile as long as you don’t provoke them. I found Cashew Nut near this area as well.”
Kyle’s tone suddenly turned nostalgic. His expression softened as he likely thought of the fluffy little beast waiting for him back at the castle…
Hey, forget it. That “fluffy little beast” is currently suffering through muscle cramps right in front of you.
[Current balance: ❤×198]
Never mind. Go ahead and miss it all you want. Just two more hearts’ worth.
“…Should we try cohabitation?”
…Wait. What the hell did you just say?
At Kyle’s murmured suggestion, I quickly spoke up.
“No!”
“…”
“Absolutely not. Cohabitation between beasts? Are you serious?”
“Northern field mice naturally live in groups.”
“Well, they’re northern field mice. Cashew Nut is a pet beast. It grows slower than others and hasn’t even gathered enough magic in its heart yet. If you put them together, it might just end up as a snack!”
I don’t care how spacious its home is—I have zero intention of making it a shared living space. No to roommates, absolutely not.
“If you really want to see Cashew Nut get killed and tossed aside, go ahead and bring one of those in.”
The day that happens, it’ll be you dead and me running away. Got it?
At my deadly glare, Kyle sighed regretfully and nodded.
“…You make a compelling argument. Fine. Once we return, I’ll discuss magic infusion with the mages.”
Wait, hold on. There aren’t any side effects to that, right?
Would it sound too suspicious if I insisted magic infusion wasn’t necessary? As I hesitated, I glanced at the northern field mice.
But wait… aren’t I just a regular hamster?
I mean, I don’t have a magic stone in my heart, and I’m not showing any signs of growing. I doubt I’ll ever get that big… Should I be worried about not growing?
“After all…”
Kyle muttered, looking at the northern field mice.
“There’s nothing as cute as Cashew Nut.”
Hamster otaku.
[Current balance: ❤×200]
Well, as long as you’re happy, I guess.
Thanks to that, I could finally afford the Beast Encyclopedia. Stretching my arms as an excuse, I discreetly pulled it out.
“Alright, let’s see here…”
“What’s that?”
“A must-have reference book for beast scholars. The Beast Encyclopedia. My rather mean-spirited but competent teacher sold this to me at an outrageous price.”
[┗|｀O′|┛]
What? It was expensive. You already drained my heart balance, so just be quiet.
Kyle slowed his pace slightly so I could read comfortably. As we ventured deeper into the canyon, the surroundings darkened, prompting the knights behind us to shift formation, lighting torches and covering the blind spots.
Let’s see…
“Goblins, ogres, wyverns… Bears, unicorns? There’s all sorts of stuff in here. Northern venomous snakes, forest mermaids? Why the hell would mermaids be in a forest?”
Seriously, this world had everything. South Korea was ridiculously normal in comparison.
“Oh, here it is. Northern field mice.”
At the mention of field mice, Kyle glanced down at the encyclopedia with interest.
“Northern field mice are one of the least threatening beasts, possessing—wow, okay, that’s a bit harsh—utterly unimpressive physical abilities…”
System, do you want to work like this? Who are you calling unimpressive?
This was definitely revenge.
[（￣︶￣）]
“And?” Kyle prompted.
“They have a complex process for developing magic stones compared to other beasts, but once formed, they can use basic magic. They’re typically attuned to earth…”
As I mumbled through the passage, I suddenly shut my mouth. An ominous feeling flickered through my mind.
Something told me that, eventually, someone was going to expect me to use magic or something… No, right? That’s not gonna happen, right?
I was already suffering as a hamster.
[(⊙ˍ⊙)]
Hey, don’t act so surprised.
Boom!
A massive boulder crashed to the ground about ten paces ahead, sending tremors through the earth.
No way…
“Switch to defensive formation!”
Kyle reached out and shut my Beast Encyclopedia.
“Shu. From this moment on, every word I say is a military order. You are not to disobey.”
A cold chill ran down my spine. Before I could even answer, Kyle spoke in a voice as steady as ice.
“No matter what happens, do not get off that horse.”
With that, he leaped down from his mount. The sword strapped to his back slid free from its sheath, glowing pale in the dim light.