RGS Vol 8 Part 20

A sudden tour around the village.

Has he grown tired of lounging around with the emperor inside the wizard’s house every day?

The village chief, feeling uneasy, began to guide Abel around the village. His discomfort didn’t stem from the fact that Abel was the emperor’s Regas. It was because of how the people would react upon seeing him.

Some of them stared in a daze as the beautiful Regas passed following the village chief, but most of them only viewed him as the emperor’s sexual plaything and someone who had defiled the sacred wizard’s home. No matter how beautiful he was, he was still seen as an ally of the emperor, who was troubling the wizard.

The commanders stirred up the village, and now they’re trying to use the Regas’ looks to achieve something?

As they walked through the village, they were met with stares filled with a mix of wariness and rejection. The village chief began to regret not taking a longer, more indirect route, nervously watching the Regas for any sign of discomfort.

What if he gets upset and decides to go back?

But contrary to his concerns, Abel seemed more curious by the village, busying himself with exploring and taking in the sights as if finding everything fascinating. He was either extremely oblivious or outright foolish. Either way, it didn’t matter as long as he didn’t cause any problems. All he did as he explored was ask various questions.

The Regas seemed to have an endless number of questions. When he saw a goat at one of the houses they passed by, he asked if it was a breed that grew up in the mountains, acting as if he knew. Then he asked whether the animals would return on their own if they were released into the mountains. Just as he said, the animals that were released into the mountains often returned without being affected by the fog.

At this, the Regas repeatedly exclaimed, “Wow, wow.” He was equally fascinated by the sight of roofs tied down with ropes to prevent them from being blown away by the strong mountain winds and asked why they were done that way. He also wanted to know whether there were festivals in the fall, if the people did laundry in groups by the stream running through the plains in the spring, and if there were men who tried to sneak a peek at them and get chased away, among other things.

The village chief thought these were all utterly useless questions. At first, the village chief gave brief answers, but he soon found himself getting caught up in the Regas’ excitement and ended up enthusiastically explaining even things that hadn’t been asked. The Regas was particularly curious about the layout of the village, and to explain that, the village chief had to first tell him about the four peaks.

“They say this land wasn’t always so rich with green grass. Before the four peaks became the Ice Mountain, it was just a barren place. Not many people lived here back then. But thanks to those four mountains, we had an abundance of food, and the mountains were even considered a sacred mountain.”

“Sacred mountain?”

“Yes, I’m not entirely sure, but I heard in passing that many monks used to visit here because this place was considered sacred. Oh, and each peak had a different name back then.”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

What’s the most important thing when you’re lost?

A map?

A compass?

No, it’s silence.

“Argh! That d*mned lord!!! When I catch him, I’ll twist his arms and legs and hang him off a cliff!!!”

Clara’s loud shout echoed back.

Hang him off a cliff—off a cliff—off a cliff—

Having to hear Clara’s annoying voice echo four times was torture. They had been wandering around the mountain for a while. Everyone hadn’t found a way down yet, so everyone was conserving their energy, but the youngest, in his early twenties, was pouring his excess energy out through his mouth.  It was noisy. The three in front of him had, of course, given a piece of senior-like advice to shut him up, but that didn’t last long. Unable to contain the frustration of having been fooled, Clara shouted again.

“As soon as I find him, I’ll hang him upside down, take off his shoes, and tickle him until he begs for death!”

Tickle him—tickle him—tickle him—

Finally losing his patience, Roster snapped, repeating something he had already said several times before.

“Hey, shut your…”

“But I’m angry, what do you want me to do?”

“……”

“Sir Roster?”

At Clara’s puzzled tone, Ashler and Kin, who had been walking ahead, also turned around to face them.

What now…?

As the other two who had turned around, froze like Roster, it was Clara who became alarmed.

“What’s wrong? You all look like you’ve seen a ghost! Is there something behind me?”

There was. Something had indeed approached them silently, like a ghost. It was about the same size as Clara, but what startled the group was its color.

“A… a polar bear?”

As if responding to someone’s whispered words, the polar bear lifted its front paws, as if to greet them. It bared its sharp teeth, making it look as if it could tear them apart at any moment.

“Roaaaaarrr—!”

As if its earth-shattering roar wasn’t enough, the polar bear swung its front paws through the air in a threatening manner. However, despite the polar bear’s intimidation, the four of them were too stunned to move, paralyzed by the sight of this pure white bear they had never seen before. It was truly white.

How could a bear as white as a bride’s dress and with fur as soft as a puppy’s?

They wanted to touch it. At that moment, the first person to regain their senses was Clara, who was closest to the bear.

Shing!

He drew his sword vigorously and charged at the bear.

“Hahaha—I’ll capture you and present you to His Majesty!”

When Clara rushed at the bear like a madman, the three people behind him flinched in surprise.

“Wait!”

“Stop!”

“Hey!”

However, Clara, thinking they were trying to prevent him from claiming his glory, became even more excited and attacked the polar bear. As soon as the bear let out a ‘Roar!’ and a ‘Screeech!’ sound, the three of them simultaneously furrowed their brows.

D*mn it, that idiot Clara…

“Stop! You’re not supposed to touch that bear! That one is…”

Before Roster could finish explaining the bear’s identity, the reality the three people feared came crashing down on them.

Thud! Thud!

With the ground-shaking sound, another polar bear appeared. It was twice the size of the one Clara was dealing with.

“That one … is just a cub.”

Roster finished his sentence belatedly, almost in despair, but it was already too late. The bear, which appeared to be the mother, charged at the intruder who was attacking her cub, full of rage.

D*mn it!

They all cursed as they rushed to fend off the mother bear. The mother bear, which was twice the size of a person, was so massive that even Kin and Roster together struggled to handle it.

Every time the mother bear swung her front paw, a terrifying sound of wind whistling filled the air. Kin and Roster gritted their teeth, thinking that a single blow from that paw would surely kill them, and then they realized:

Why are there only the two of us?

Amid the frantic battle, they turned their heads and saw Ashler standing at the back, just watching.

“Ashler! Ugh, what are you doing? Get over here and help us attack the bear!”

“I can’t. I’m not allowed to.”

What kind of nonsense is that?

They almost abandoned the bear to attack Ashler instead, but unfortunately, he provided a valid reason.

“His Majesty has ordered me. I’m not allowed to kill the bear.”

For a brief moment, it felt as if even the bear attacking them also fell silent. But soon after, Roster and Kin were once again engaged in a fierce battle with the bear. The two clenched their teeth and shouted:

“What are you talking about?! Forget His Majesty’s orders for now and….”

“No. His Majesty’s orders are as absolute as a divine command that I can never dare disobey.”

It was an utterly useless sense of loyalty. As the three of them gasped for breath from the exhausting battle, an ominous sound came from behind them.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The ground trembled with the sound of heavy footsteps. Not just one, but several of them. Even Clara, who was fiercely battling the cub, turned around in horror. Three more polar bears, as white as brides, were approaching them gracefully.

“Ahh! Why are there so many bears?! Is this some kind of a Bear Mountain?”

⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

“That is a Bear Mountain.”

The village chief calmly raised his hand and pointed towards the half-melted peak.

“That mountain peak was famous for having many bears, even before it became a part of the Ice Mountains. So, it was called the Bear Mountain.”

Hearing about the bears, the Regas’ eyes lit up as he exclaimed, ‘Ohhh!’

“Then, did polar bears live there as well?”

“Yes. They lived mostly on that peak, and they also had the characteristic of moving in groups. That’s why people rarely went there even before it became the Ice Mountain. The polar bears don’t like noise, and it’s said that if they hear human voices, they will charge in as a group and tear them apart with their claws. There’s even a rumor that they especially hate echoes.”

The village chief mimicked the bear’s paw by curling his fingers halfway. The Regas reacted dramatically, exclaiming with a loud, “Ahhh!” again before suddenly remembering something and asked.

“Oh, then now that a lot of the snow has melted, are the polar bears living there again?”

“I’ve heard people say they’ve seen polar bears. But as I mentioned, polar bears are extremely dangerous animals. There are very few who have survived an encounter with one. So, under no circumstances should you go near it, even just to take a look. Do you understand?”

The village chief spoke firmly, and the Regas, who had seemed to seriously consider the idea, hesitated and then glanced around.

“Well, if I just watch from a distance, maybe….”

“No! You absolutely must not go to that Bear Mountain.”

The village chief only relaxed when he saw the Regas nod in agreement, a smile of relief spreading across his face.

Thank goodness.

If someone as curious as him were to climb the Bear Mountain… Huh?

But why should I care even if he does?

The village chief was startled to realize he was actually concerned about the Regas, and his face hardened. He wondered if it was because they had talked so much on the way to the wizard’s house that he’d developed a bit of affection for him.

Even if that wasn’t the case, there was something about Regas—perhaps it was his awkward demeanor or the way he smiled so warmly made people feel at ease. Despite his high status, he didn’t feel distant. That’s why, when the Regas made a strange request, the village chief found himself hesitating but ultimately gave in. The Regas wanted to speak directly with some of the people in the village, and he had even specified certain people.

“I’ve heard that the wizard only has young children as his attendants. The truth is, I’m a bit scared about meeting the wizard alone tomorrow. Haha. Could I meet the child who is currently serving the wizard, or perhaps their parents?”

“Yes, that’s not difficult at all.”

The village chief nodded without much thought at the Regas’ request.

Was he really afraid of meeting the wizard tomorrow?

After leading the Regas to the house of the current attendant and leaving to take care of some other tasks for a moment, the village chief suddenly remembered what the wizard had instructed him.

‘Follow the Regas wherever he goes. Watch where he goes, what he does, who he talks to, and keep an eye on his every move.’

Could someone as innocent as the Regas, who was more interested in goats and roof ties, really say anything suspicious?

The village chief thought not, but just in case, he approached the window of the house where the Regas had gone and observed them. Fortunately, the window was open just a crack, barely the size of a hand. Even without that, he could still hear the conversation clearly due to the father’s loud and agitated voice inside.

“What are you saying? Are you telling us to betray the wizard? If that’s what you’re here to suggest, then please leave!”

After the man’s voice, the voice of a woman, presumably his wife, could be heard trying to calm him down.

“Keep your voice down. The Lord Regas isn’t asking us to betray the wizard.”

“What do you mean, he isn’t? Leaving the plains is a betrayal! The wizard is bound by his magic to protect our plains, and you’re saying we should leave him behind? How could we possibly do that?!”