IRER 55

Chapter 55

 Water bag

Brody clutched the waterskin Aidan had given her, freezing in place as she sensed people gathering nearby.

Why? Why are they coming closer?

There was a commotion, but nothing big enough to call it an uproar. So then why…?

A creeping unease crawled up her shoulders.

Why are you being so sensitive?
Showing off just because you’re good at something?
You really can’t control your emotions, can you. Even when things are hard, you should always endure in silence.

The words she had heard countless times in her past life from her family flickered through her mind.
Any time she expressed even the slightest bit of emotion, they would lash out at her.

Brody knew why. They were embarrassed—afraid that if they didn’t knock her down, she might leave them behind and live better on her own.

It wasn’t right, but she had grown skilled at hiding her emotions. She had learned that showing them was of no use when working.

That was why she was afraid.

Because she knew she had slipped just now. She had no idea how to endure the reprimands that would surely follow.

While Brody faltered, the knights approached.

Then—thunk. Something was set down beside her.

“……”

Still tense, Brody cautiously looked around.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Thunk, thunk. The knights were laying waterskins down beside her.

‘Uh…?’

One, two… more than twenty waterskins surrounded her like a trench.

The knights had filled their waterskins with hot water and placed them around her.

‘This is…?’

A shiver of goosebumps ran up her arms. She grabbed her opposite arm tightly.

Brody was so bewildered she couldn’t find her voice, when Teddy stepped up and spoke.

“Sorry, my lady.”

“…What?”

Sorry? For what? Brody stared at Teddy with trembling eyes.

“We didn’t realize you’d feel the cold so much. We’re all hardened northern warriors, so we didn’t think it through.”

He scratched his head sheepishly.

One by one, the knights chimed in.

“My lady, you should’ve just said something.”
“Hey, can’t you tell? She was holding back so she wouldn’t trouble us.”
“Giving you a few waterskins is no trouble. Use them as much as you like, my lady. Teddy here’s quick—send him to fetch hot water whenever you want.”
“Oi, don’t pin it all on me! You were the one fussing over whether she was cold!”
“Shut it! I was just showing off my keen intuition and brilliant deductive skills, that’s all…!”

They grumbled and bickered, but in the end, all of them had been worried about her.

“Haha.”

Hearing their banter, the tension in her chest melted away, and a laugh slipped out without her realizing.

Wrapped in the warmth of the waterskins, the stiffness in her shoulders finally loosened.

Brody tugged the blanket up to her nose, leaving only her eyes peeking out. Staring into the space at the knights’ knee level, she murmured:

“Thank you… everyone.”

“……”

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but amidst the deep voices of the men, it stood out clearly. The knights all fell silent, focusing on her words.

The sudden hush startled her. Lifting her gaze, she found dozens of eyes fixed on her. She forced herself to add:

“It’s much warmer now.”

Her face was hidden under the blanket, but the stuffy sound of her nose made it seem like she was holding back tears.

The knights coughed and cleared their throats, pretending not to be flustered.

One bold soldier finally spoke up.

“This is nothing compared to what you’ve done for us, my lady.”

At those words, the soldiers’ eyes grew solemn. The slouched stances of a market crowd straightened into the bearing of disciplined men.

Another spoke.

“Please lean on us more.”
“That’s right. Stop feeling guilty about riding in a carriage. We know you’ve only just gotten back on your feet. Don’t think of us as so stingy.”
“Don’t blame her. She was just trying to be considerate. In any case, we’ll follow your orders properly—so don’t hold back, my lady.”

Flooded with concern, Brody clutched her blanket tighter, overwhelmed.

She had braced herself for reproach—so why were they showing her such care and understanding instead?

That unexpected kindness stirred something hot in her chest, whirling upward until it threatened to spill from her eyes. She had to steady herself again and again to hold it back.

“Thank you… all of you…”

She could only repeat the same words like a music box.

Aidan, who had been standing with arms crossed beside the tree he had planted for her, slowly straightened. At once, the knights’ attention shifted to him.

“Now then,” Aidan said, “back to your posts. Lady Brody needs her rest.”

“Y-Yes, sir!!”

The knights saluted and hurried back to their places.

Though they kept their discipline, muffled chuckles slipped out here and there—they seemed amused that the icy Grand Duke was fussing over his partner so tenderly. Planting a tree just so she could lean on it—strange, but thoughtful.

Brody glanced up at Aidan, who swept the camp with a cold look.

His words had been curt, but she caught the faint smile tugging at his lips.

Awooo, awooo!

Just as the knights were about to sit in their tents, the sudden howl of beasts split the night.

Their seats would have to wait.

The first to move was Aidan. He found a tall tree and scaled it in an instant.

How could such a massive man move so lightly?

Both Brody and the knights watched him with awe.

Perched among the branches, Aidan narrowed his eyes, peering into the dark distance.

The moon was dim, the night pitch-black, the forest buried in snow. What could he possibly see?

After a long moment, he dropped lightly back to the ground.

Everyone waited for his report.

“A pack of white wolves is about two kilometers northwest,” he said. “And about a kilometer to their right, there’s a lone black panther prowling.”

“Could the panther be hunting the wolves?” one of the seasoned knights asked.

Aidan tilted his head.

“Unlikely. The wolves far outnumber it. And the wolves don’t seem to be wary of the panther either.”

Another knight, tall and reserved—perhaps their captain—spoke up.

“Should we prepare defenses?”

This time, Aidan lowered his chin in thought.

“Let’s watch for now. The wolves aren’t aiming for the camp. Their movement is odd, but… just increase the sentries.”

“Yes, sir!”

The captain swiftly gave orders, and the men obeyed without question. None looked overly tense; guarding against wild animals wasn’t exactly dire business.

Seven knights took turns keeping watch around the camp.

Awwooo!
Grawwwl!

The intermittent cries of beasts kept everyone alert.

Brody, despite Aidan’s thoughtful tree, couldn’t fall asleep.

And judging from the gleam in their eyes, neither could the knights.

Awwooo—awwooo!

The cries grew more frequent, sending shivers down Brody’s spine. If the knights weren’t worried, then perhaps it wasn’t serious… but her body couldn’t ignore the creeping dread. Staring toward the sound, she asked nervously:

“Why are the wolves howling like that?”

The answer came not from Aidan, but from an unexpected source.

“Who knows? Maybe Calihiel is awakening,” Teddy said cheerfully, his voice oddly buoyant even at dawn.

“Calihiel? You mean…?”

Brody’s eyes lifted to the flag fluttering above the camp.

“Yes, that one,” Teddy nodded eagerly, then gestured toward the fire, asking silently if he might sit.

Aidan remained silent, his face grim—probably disapproving—but Brody waved for him to go ahead.

Teddy sat down with a bright grin, holding a small wooden instrument.

Brody asked, “I know it’s the animal on that flag… but what does it mean for Calihiel to ‘awaken’?”

“I was going to explain! I brought my lute for just that. Since everyone seems wide awake, I thought I’d play and tell the tale.”

“You can play an instrument too?”

“Just a bit,” he chuckled.

As he settled, other soldiers peeked curiously from their tents, eventually drifting toward the Grand Duke’s fire.

With more listeners, Teddy’s eyes sparkled as he began:

“Calihiel is a beast that symbolizes the Ice Spirit. You know the Ice Spirit, right? Our Father Spirit of the North, and guardian of House Mason—Lord Hieldieta.”

“Ah, yes.”

Brody nodded quickly, sneaking a glance at Aidan.

Of course I know. He’s right behind me, using that very power. I even read about the legend in a book.

But she couldn’t say that, so she simply nodded again, waiting for Teddy’s explanation.

“Calihiel has the face of a wolf, the body of a black panther, the wings of an eagle, and the tail of a serpent.”

“Ohh, that’s why it looked so unusual.”

“Yes. So when wolves and a panther show up together, it reminds people of Calihiel. It was the Ice Spirit’s familiar, and thus became its symbol—House Mason’s crest.”

“So it’s a real creature?”

“Of course. Though no one’s actually seen one.”

“Hmm.”

Brody narrowed her eyes at his jest.

If no one had ever seen it… was it real at all?

Still, she didn’t press the point. Smiling faintly, she just nodded along.

Awwooo, awooo…

Another resonant cry echoed. Brody shivered, pulling her blanket tighter, her voice dropping.

“Well… if it really has the face of a wolf, then I suppose it would howl like that.”

“Yes! If we’re lucky, we might even be the first to see it.”

“Ahaha…”

Whether that would truly count as “lucky” was another matter.

But somehow, it didn’t seem likely.