Chapter 14: The Artifact of the Snow King (2)

“Oh my, Young Master Richard! Where are you?!”

It was just as we were approaching the village.

Baron Hessen’s voice echoed from the mountainside.

He was yelling so much his voice had become hoarse and grating.

Following the direction of the voice, we saw the baron and the soldiers accompanying him.

“Y-Young Master! What on earth were you doing out here at this hour?!”

When he spotted me, Baron Hessen looked like he was about to burst into tears.

He was clearly nervous that something might have gone wrong in his domain.

“Do I really have to explain all that?”

“It’s not that, but…!”

The baron seemed to momentarily forget our difference in status and almost raised his voice—but then trailed off.

His gaze had landed on my crown and cloak.

I opened my mouth.

“Don’t ask about anything. Not the ice castle on the mountain. Not the crown or the cloak.”

“U-understood!”

The artifact’s effects seemed to be working well, as the baron answered with strict discipline.

I patted his shoulder and headed toward the village.

The Ice Crown and Fur Cloak of the Snow King were incredibly powerful—so much so that even that guy, the mage who destroyed House Battenberg, had used them to great effect.

All I needed now was to gather Snowfall’s villagers as followers of my faith—and everything would be perfect.

My mind was running happily with endless possibilities.

***

In a dark forest, a lich wrapped in demonic energy frowned in displeasure.

“What is this ominous energy…?”

For a being saturated in dark magic, this unfamiliar energy deeply disturbed him.

His body floated up into the air.

The source of the foul energy was a small village to the north.

Just who was releasing such a presence?

As his curiosity stirred, so too did a primal urge to kill.

“I’d like to investigate personally, but the great work comes first.”

With a flash of cold light from his eyes, he raised a hand—and corpses erupted from the earth.

A sizeable number of undead.

Leading them was a death knight, now risen.

“Find the one emitting this vile energy—and kill them.”

Of the three liches who crossed over from the demon realm, this one—Krombel—had given the order.

The dead began to move.

***

One villager, cautiously watching me, finally spoke.

“H-Hor! Praise Hor!”

The surrounding villagers exchanged glances and began chanting along.

It was utter chaos.

“You little…!”

I frowned.

It was now the fourth day since I arrived in Snowfall.

I had retrieved the artifact from the Ice Castle and expected this to be a satisfying little expedition.

“Hooor!!”

And yet now I faced an unexpected obstacle.

Every time the villagers saw me, they shouted the name of Hor.

Even the village chief had joined in.

Of course, spreading religion and gathering followers is good, but…

“Enough! You don’t even believe—what’s with the Hor nonsense?!”

The most crucial element was missing.

No matter how many times they chanted the god’s name, not a single drop of actual faith came in.

By this point, I had to face the truth.

They were just pretending to believe—catering to me with empty flattery.

No, wait.

Were they mocking me?

“Kyaa! Everyone, let’s pray to the Lord!”

“Hor! Hor!”

Mary, oblivious, jumped around with excitement.

And for some reason, the villagers were blushing just watching her.

“Sigh… This is harder than I thought.”

Honestly, the fight with the Snow King had been easier.

Even when I used real divine power to heal the villagers, or had my knights deliver food supplies—

The gratitude was directed not at the god, but at me. Which, to be fair, made sense.

‘No… there will be a chance.’

No matter how much I shouted about faith, as things stood, all I’d get was fake devotion.

That’s when I felt a gaze.

It was Aaron.

“Aaron. I told you not to look at me like that.”

“What did I do?”

He feigned ignorance, but I had a feeling he’d known about my and Mary’s relationship for some time.

Every time I came back after speaking with her, he gave me that look.

Now that Mary had become the face of our missionary work, Aaron was starting to show his dissatisfaction.

“Young Master. These actions will only become obstacles on your path.”

“Oh? And how much do you know?”

“To think you’d believe in a false god. That’s not something a Battenberg heir should do.”

Heir to Battenberg?

That was practically guaranteed to be my second brother’s position.

Still, Aaron looked serious.

Did he really think I was aiming for succession?

More importantly, there was something else that mattered more.

“I have my reasons.”

I paused for a moment before continuing.

“Because a great threat is coming to Battenberg.”

“…!”

Aaron quickly looked around in alarm.

It would’ve been disastrous if the other knights heard.

I continued speaking anyway.

Seeing these thick-headed warriors made me feel stifled.

Not that the southern magic clans were any better—they’d be busy chasing arcane power, as always.

Back when I was a player, I felt endlessly frustrated watching this continent.

Martial power is good.

Magic is great.

But everyone was too busy fighting between north and south, between might and magic.

“If they keep acting like this, they’ll regret it deeply.”

House Battenberg, rulers of the north, would one day be destroyed by Marx, a power from the south.

That was the future I knew.

But that wouldn’t be the end.

This continent was full of hidden dangers.

Had I not possessed Richard, this land would’ve turned into a sea of blood under the demon invasion.

Faced with such chaos, the continent had to unite.

Not just warriors and mages—humans and other races as well.

And I intended for the Church of Hor to be the bridge that united them.

“…Do you mean to start a revolution?”

In this godless world, perhaps it would be seen that way.

But I shook my head.

“I just want you to have a more flexible mindset.”

My gaze fell to the scar on Aaron’s arm.

A minor wound from the battle with the Snow King.

I raised my hand over it and summoned divine energy.

Aaron’s eyes trembled.

“That’s… a strange feeling. So this is faith.”

“Do you really think gods exist?”

He repeated the same question Mary had asked not long ago.

“If they do exist… why would they make the world like this?”

‘…What?’

I hadn’t expected that.

“Endless conflict and chaos. Monstrous creatures invading human lands…”

“Five years ago, in the battle with the Roland magic clan, many civilians got caught in the crossfire. Including children. They had done nothing wrong.”

Why didn’t the gods save them?

I had no answer to that question.

“Forgive me. I was out of line.”

Aaron, who had expressed such skepticism, suddenly apologized.

He must’ve realized it wasn’t something to say in front of me.

“If you need anything, please call me.”

He bowed and walked away.

***

“Um, Young Master Richard.”

As I stood quietly, Baron Hessen approached.

“The relief supplies are scheduled to arrive soon.”

He handed me a list of the supplies.

A quick glance told me it was all quite well-prepared—clothing, food, firewood, and other necessities.

Still, it felt unlikely that he’d just help so obediently.

“Ahem! So… what are your plans for that castle?”

There it was.

His eyes sparkled with greed.

He was looking toward the Ice Castle on the mountain, visible even from the village.

He knew how valuable its aesthetics were.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I hear nobles can’t get enough of such things.”

“Y-yes! If we turned Snowfall into a tourist site…!”

He took the bait.

“Tourist site? That’s mine.”

“P-Pardon?”

“I found it. I defeated the monster living in it. So who does it belong to?”

Baron Hessen broke into a cold sweat.

He couldn’t claim ownership just because it was in his territory—not when my status far surpassed his.

“For now, let’s just see how things go.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

Leaving him dejected behind, I turned away.

I did plan to increase Snowfall’s value eventually—but only after the villagers became my followers.

Right now, it would just be charity for others.

Supplies from the baron could count as my goodwill, but the castle?

That was too much.

“…?”

That’s when I heard a faint noise.

It came from outside the village.

The knights noticed it too.

All eyes turned in one direction.

“Let’s go check it out.”

I took a few knights and the baron toward the village entrance.

Beyond the old wooden palisade, the snowy forest came into view.

The sound was getting closer.

A bad feeling crept over me.

It was footsteps.

Not just one, but many…

“…!”

Rotting corpses.

I saw them emerging from the forest.

Monsters of 1- to 3-star rank. Each had a hole in their chest.

A mark of the undead.

“Why…?”

Why were undead appearing here?

This was completely unexpected.

And behind them—

A foul, sickening aura spread.

So disgusting, I nearly gagged.

It was demonic energy.

“Young Master! You must retreat!”

Aaron rushed to my side and called the knights.

Baron Hessen’s soldiers were also gathering at the gate.

The baron grabbed my arm.

“Quick, Young Master! Let’s board the carriage and escape! Hurry!”

“No.”

“W-What…?”

“Run if you want. Or hide in the village. Do whatever you want.”

“Y-Young Master…?”

He stammered helplessly.

Behind him, the villagers gathered, drawn by the commotion.

They were panicked at the sight of monsters.

I drew the Ice Crescendo from my waist and stood next to Aaron.

“Will you join the fight?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful.”

Unexpectedly, Aaron didn’t argue.

I thought he’d try to stop me.

“Whew…”

I took a deep breath.

The old me would’ve panicked in a situation like this.

But that’s exactly why I’d prepared artifacts.

From the Ice Crown, cold air flowed.

The fear that had started to rise vanished.

My mind grew sharp and focused.

It was the perfect effect for someone like me, unfamiliar with battle and blood.

Then—

Crackle!

The Snow King’s freezing aura surged from the Frost Cloak.