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Chapter: 45

I had vaguely imagined a winter landscape, but the reality was different from what I had in mind. It was natural since it wasn\'t winter yet.

It was an error I would have realized if I had thought just a bit more, but I don\'t know why I imagined a fortress covered in white snow.

Did I like snowy scenery? No, actually, I hated snow.

It was because of the memories of shoveling snow from the training grounds and the courtyard in front of the dormitory at Blood Cloud Fortress.

While shoveling snow, I would sometimes make snowballs and throw them at my colleagues who were also sweeping the yard. Then, even the people who were just watching the snow removal would rush in and join the snowball fight. As a result, by the time we finished shoveling the snow and went back, we were soaked from head to toe.

It was childish, looking back now.

And sometimes, the fortress lord, who would pass by, would click his tongue at the sight of me drenched.

- "Take it easy, guys."

He would add those words.

Or, it was my eldest brother.

- "Looks like you had fun."

Or, it was my second eldest brother.

- "Are you a child?"

That\'s how it was.

Anyway, since it wasn\'t winter yet, there wouldn\'t be any snow to see. I would probably return to the capital before the frost even set in.

The snowy scenery I would see would be that of the palace in the capital.

Meanwhile, I was curious about how long Go Yeong-shin intended to travel with my group.

We had passed Gurye Fortress with the Pyeonggwang Merchant Group led by Go Yeong-shin and had traveled this far. Now, Wolhan Fortress was right in front of us.

I hadn\'t paid much attention to them, but I couldn\'t completely ignore them either. There was something I couldn\'t help but be aware of, even if I tried not to care. The fact that Go Yeong-shin was Shin Gwiryung\'s subordinate.

What if he ran back to Shin Gwiryung and tattled on me for neglecting them?

Hmm.

Surely, someone in the position of the head of the Pyeonggwang Merchant Group wouldn\'t be so petty.

Wolhan Fortress was still the center of the north, so there might be a Pyeonggwang Merchant Group branch there.

We were almost there, just a little further and we would finally reach our destination. I urged the group to hurry up.

Soon, we really did arrive at Wolhan Fortress.

Finally.

* * *

However, entering Wolhan Fortress wasn\'t easy from the start. Neither I nor my entourage had expected to be treated so coldly, so we were quite taken aback.

"Please wait a moment."

One of the gatekeeper soldiers said to Heo Seokgyeom, who was at the front.

Right before that, Heo Seokgyeom had informed the gatekeepers that I was Prince Ikwon, a prince from the capital.

But to be told to wait? What kind of nonsense was this?

It was clearly the Lord of Wolhan Fortresswho had requested King Bonhyeon to send someone. Anyone would think I had come here on my own whim, demanding to be let in.

It was rude and baffling.

I frowned.

"Are you daring to doubt the identity of First Prince?"

At that, the gatekeeper soldiers looked at me. They were wearing iron helmets that covered their entire faces, so all I could see were the even number of eyeballs exposed through the eyeholes.

Technically, they should have removed their helmets in front of me, a prince. But.

"We apologize, Your Highness."

The gatekeepers bowed their heads. Their tone suggested they were trying to wrap up this bothersome matter quickly.

Heo Seokgyeom and Yoo Geung glanced at me. They seemed worried that I might cause a scene. I shouldn\'t make a fuss in front of the fortress gate. Instead of throwing a tantrum, I just let out a sigh.

"How long do we have to wait?"

At my words, the gatekeepers whispered amongst themselves. Heo Seokgyeom\'s face turned redder and redder because of their behavior. It was quite surprising that he was getting so angry, considering he was worried about me causing a scene. I glanced at Yoo Geung, and he wasn\'t much different, and neither were the other members of the entourage.

These guys, are they getting angry on my behalf just because we traveled together for a bit? That\'s loyal!

"It won\'t be long, Your Highness. We apologize."

It was ridiculous that we couldn\'t even enter and had to wait for the fortress gate to open, and it was also absurd that the Lord of Wolhan Fortress didn\'t come out to greet us. It wasn\'t mandatory, but it was customary to show that level of courtesy.

I had also heard that it wasn\'t wrong to say that Wolhan Fortress encompassed the entire northern region. I had heard that the Lord of Wolhan Fortress was the only person who could unite and lead the northern clans.

For reference, it wouldn\'t be an exaggeration to say that the northern region was a place where the King of Mokryeo\'s eyes couldn\'t reach.

If someone were to plan a rebellion, there would be nothing the capital could do to prepare for it. Not only would the news travel slowly, but even if the capital received the news and dispatched troops, the situation would already be over.

Therefore, in some aspects, the royal family could be in a vulnerable position. Yes, that\'s true, but...

Does that mean you can treat me like this?

Are you looking down on me right now?

I\'m the one representing the capital, for crying out loud.

"Ha, it won\'t be long? Oh, really."

There are things to endure and things not to. I\'ve endured this much, so no one could say anything if I throw a fit now.

Just as I was thinking it might be a good thing, I opened my mouth.

"It seems the Lord of Wolhan Fortress doesn\'t welcome me..."

"Are you First Prince, Your Highness?"

At that moment, a calm voice intervened between me and the gatekeepers. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man, a bit too young to be middle-aged, approaching on horseback.

The man, upon making eye contact with me, immediately jumped off his horse\'s saddle and approached on foot.

Seeing him up close, his complexion didn\'t look good. His eyes were filled with fatigue, either from lack of sleep or a mountain of worries causing dark circles. The man bowed his head.

"I apologize, Your Highness. Please forgive me for greeting you in this manner."

I stared at his bowed head for a while before replying.

"It seems the apology isn\'t just for me."

"I apologize to everyone as well."

This man was the Lord of Wolhan Fortress. The Lord of Wolhan Castle, raising his head, nodded slightly towards my entourage and then looked back at me.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Um, not really for a long..."

Oh no. I can\'t say that.

"...I\'ve been waiting for a long time. A very long time. I thought my eyes were going to pop out."

"I apologize. It was my negligence."

Negligence, my foot. If there was one person in the position in this country that shouldn\'t be negligent, it was the Lord of Wolhan Fortress. If Wolhan Fortress, the northern barrier, were to fall, the areas below would be helplessly conquered. By whom? By the magical beasts beyond the northern wall.

It\'s not for nothing that they conscript troops from all over the country and send soldiers to this northern border where Wolhan Fortress is located.

Only after the Lord of Wolhan Fortress was absent and the position became vacant could the king be placed in the most negligent position.

That\'s how strategically important Wolhan Fortress was.

"The Fortress Lord shouldn\'t be negligent. And not just any fortress, but the Lord of the Wolhan Fortress himself."

However, that\'s precisely why the title "Lord of Wolhan Fortress" could also be an insult.

The united tribes of the north, huddled together against the harsh northern winds, and their leader.

Those who could never blend into the central and southern powers.

Thus, the boundary between north and south, divided by blood.

Eternal outsiders.

The people of the north, mostly consisting of these tribes, were destined to live their lives fighting against the northern winds and magical beasts until they died.

The place where they would eventually fall, without ever experiencing a warm breeze, was the endless white plains.

Who would revisit those cold graves?

The position of the Lord of Wolhan Fortress, who was essentially in charge of all the northern people, could be seen as an insulting title.

I didn\'t think that far.

After all, they were just a bloodline that had been stuck in this corner of the north for generations, dying and being reborn, guarding the border as the king commanded.

They were people who had lived like obedient hunting dogs, never causing any major trouble.

So what kind of grudge could one have to belittle their hard work?

And, in that sense, our Blood Cloud Fortress Lord was also a pitiful man. He had dedicated his entire life to defending Blood Cloud Fortress in a remote corner of the world. And he believed that was the only right way to live. Until the moment he breathed his last and closed his eyes.

I\'m not saying that his time was wrong. Who am I to judge the path someone else has walked?

But I could never say that out loud. I couldn\'t make our fortress lord out to be a pitiful man, so naturally, the Lord of Wolhan Fortress became a great person in my eyes.

"I apologize."

Whether it was out of pride or a gesture of tolerance for making me wait, the Lord of Wolhan Fortress didn\'t answer and lowered his gaze.

Now that I noticed, the gatekeepers hadn\'t said a word since the Lord of Wolhan Fortress appeared.

He doesn\'t look like it, but maybe he is scarier than I thought?

"Are you going to keep me standing here, Fortress Lord?"

I met eyes with the Lord of Wolhan Fortress again. His face was incredibly tired and exhausted. Was he busy? Was it related to the reason I came here?

"Please enter."

The Lord of Wolhan Fortress granted us passage through the North Wall gate.

The grand gate slid open with a heavy rumble, and the path cleared.

* * *

We were on our way to our lodgings after passing through the fortress gate.

Did the people here never see anyone from the capital? Everyone stared intently at my face as I passed by. It was so uncomfortable that I felt like dying. If I weren\'t as thick-skinned as I am, my face would have been burning red by now.

Or were they staring because I was handsome? Well, where else in this backwater could they see a man as handsome as me? I turned my head towards the people, giving them a grin as if to tell them to observe closely, and they all disappeared like mice into their holes.

Then, at some point, a shadow suddenly fell over my head. Wondering what it was, I looked up and saw a black mass hurtling... no, plummeting towards me.

"...Huh?"

I quickly dodged, and the black mass crashed onto the ground. But it wasn\'t just any mass.

"This guy... Ah, no, no. Isn\'t this bird Your Highness\'s crow?"

Eunuch Han, who had suddenly popped up, said. It seemed he had decided to call it "this guy" after being severely attacked once. I nodded as I picked up Gon, who was stuck to the ground.

"It is."

At that moment, another shadow fell over my head. I looked up again and saw a shadow floating in the air. But this time, it didn\'t fall.

A bird of prey slowly descended and perched on my forearm.

"What\'s this?"

Looking closely, I saw a note tied to its leg. It seemed that tying notes to legs was a common method used by other people besides me.

As I untied and read it, the sender\'s name caught my eye first.

Shin Gwiryung.