Chapter 29: Edgar

We pushed forward through the blizzard.

Every time I inhaled, the cold air froze my lungs.

It was so cold that my teeth chattered, but I gritted my teeth.

‘On this expedition, I must…’

I clenched my fists.

The youngest knight in the Order. The honorable successor to House Hind.

I could never fall here.

‘I will never… become like my brother.’

I remembered that day, seven years ago.

The day my brother abandoned the path of nobility and left his family to become an adventurer.

My father was furious, and my mother cried.

And I… despised my brother.

“What do you know?”

The last conversation we had that day rang in my ears.

“Nobility is meant to protect the people. Even as an adventurer, I will walk that path.”

“You will become a disgrace to the family!”

“Edgar… You are still young, so you don’t know.”

My brother’s last words pierced my heart.

After that, there was no contact with my brother.

Perhaps somewhere in this Seolhan Ridge…

The snowfall grew heavier.

Frozen rocks and sharp ice walls were everywhere.

The path over Seolhanryeong was dangerous.

It was difficult to even walk properly without riding the wind.

‘Did I die here…?’

I shook my head and shook off my thoughts.

Now was not the time to think about such things.

I lowered my body and read the flow of the wind.

The air swirled around me.

When I swung my sword slightly, the air split apart.

This is the true swordsmanship of a knight.

The vision of Hindgar that I learned from my father.

My brother had not learned this kind of swordsmanship.

He had only insisted on the rough swordsmanship of adventurers…

Using the wind to lightly float his body, he charged forward.

However, when I looked back, the other knights could not keep up with my speed.

Their armor was heavy from the ice and snow, and their movements were sluggish.

“This speed is not good!”

“We need to rest for a moment…”

The knights’ breathing became ragged.

Three had already fallen, and two were frozen and could not even walk.

To be with these weaklings… That was when I thought.

“It’s a monster!”

Someone’s desperate cry rang out.

I immediately grabbed my sword.

In front, red eyes lit up one by one in the blizzard.

Giant ice wolves surrounded us.

Their fangs were covered in frost, and their claws scraped the snow, making a sharp sound.

“Frost werewolves… Guardians of Seolhanryeong.”

My father’s teachings flashed through my mind.

Guardians of Seolhanryeong, not ordinary monsters, but ancient beings guarding this place.

I took a deep breath.

Now was my chance to prove my skills.

“Haaah!”

I gathered the wind into my sword and swung it.

The sharp sword energy spread like lightning.

The fierce wind swept over the wolves, tearing their skin.

A desperate scream erupted.

The knights belatedly joined in, but their swords were heavy.

With their slow movements, they could not keep up with the wolves’ speed.

‘They are on a different level from those guys.’

I quickly changed positions.

Moving lightly on the wind, I aimed for the wolves’ weaknesses.

I aimed for one of their necks and stabbed my sword deep into it.

Red blood spread across the snow.

However, at that moment, I discovered a strange emotion in the wolves’ eyes.

It was neither fear nor anger…

It was a light that seemed to warn me of something.

These are not simple monsters.

The beings that guard Seolhanryeong.

The guards that test those who try to cross this place.

Their eyes seemed to be telling me: Do not go any further.

“Sir Edgar!”

I turned my head at someone’s shout.

A knight was lying torn apart by a wolf’s claws.

Blood sprayed across the snow.

‘Damn it.’ I ran toward him on the wind.

I blocked the wolf’s attack and pulled the knight to me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry… I hurt your ankle…”

His leg was frozen. It was frostbite.

‘This way…’

That was when a wolf aimed for my back.

I quickly turned around, but a claw grazed my shoulder.

“Ugh!”

Sharp pain pierced through my body.

My armor was torn.

But what was more surprising was…

‘It’s cold!’

The wounded area began to freeze in an instant.

This wasn’t just a simple wound.

A curse-like coldness seeped into my body.

‘Damn it… maybe even you, hyung…’

For a moment, the image of my hyung flashed through my mind.

No, not now…!

I gritted my teeth.

I infused magic into my sword, and a faint flame burned.

One of the Hind family’s visions.

It was a technique to warm the body with sword energy.

“Haaaaat!”

I swung my sword sharply.

The hot wind enveloped my body.

My frozen wounds were melting.

‘I can’t fall… yet!’

I stood facing the wolves again with my sword in hand.

Now their eyes were different.

It was as if… they had passed a test.

“Kuuuuuuu!”

The one who seemed to be the leader of the wolves howled loudly.

Then the other wolves began to retreat one by one.

“Are we retreating…?” someone muttered.

But I knew.

This was not a retreat.

‘They allowed us to pass.’

The guardians of Seolhanryeong were testing us.

And we… barely passed that test.

After the battle, we barely managed to set up camp.

There were many knights with frostbite, and many were injured.

Fortunately, there were no deaths.

I slowly wrapped a bandage in front of the flames.

The wound on my shoulder was still throbbing.

The Frost Werewolf’s claws were imbued with special magic.

The wound wouldn’t heal easily.

“My brother, this kind of pain…”

I shook my head.

My brother came to mind again.

Why do I keep thinking of him?

In the distance, the corpses we passed by were stuck between the ice walls.

Those who tried to get over here a long time ago and failed.

My brother was among them…

“Edgar.”

I came to my senses at the voice of Captain Rowen.

“Yes, Captain.”

“I acknowledge your skills. However…”

His eyes became sharp. “Refrain from individual actions. We are a knight order. If you fight the enemy alone…”

“I apologize.”

I lowered my head, but inside I was filled with discontent.

This was because the other knights couldn’t keep up with my speed.

However, now was not the time to refute.

“Sia Kalt is over there.”

Captain Rowen pointed to the distance.

A huge snowy mountain faintly visible through the clouds.

“Our goal will be inside. The one that transformed the saint and the warrior…”

“Captain.”

A knight interrupted. His voice trembled.

“If we continue like this… all of us…”

Captain Rowen’s eyes grew cold.

“If you want to act like a coward, you can go back here. But…”

A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. “Then the knight’s honor will be lost forever.”

No one answered.

The knights’ faces were a mixture of fear and agony.

But they couldn’t go back.

A knight who was marked by Captain Rowan… would not be welcome anywhere.

‘Whew…”

I looked at the flames.

I seemed to see something in the blazing flames.

I must endure this cold…”

Then, a cold wind suddenly came.

The flames shook.

The sound of the wind sounded like someone’s whisper.

I instinctively grabbed the hilt of my sword.

This place… was still the territory of Seolhanryeong.

In addition to the Frost Werewolf that had tested us, there would be more dangers lurking.

‘But I cannot back down.’

I gritted my teeth.

This was just the beginning.

The real ordeal would be after we crossed Seolhanryeong.

The next day, we went through the blizzard again.

The wind grew stronger as the ice canyon deepened.

The huge ice walls on both sides blocked the sky.

It was hard to even breathe.

“Master!” one knight shouted.

I couldn’t hear it well because of the wind, but I followed his gesture and turned my gaze.

‘That’s…’

There was something stuck on the canyon wall.

A flag half-buried in the ice.

It was the emblem of the Kingdom of Genes.

“It’s a trace of the previous expedition.”

The captain’s voice rang out coldly.

He looked around the flag.

And soon…

“Corpses.”

The knights were stuck in the ice wall.

Their armor was rusted, and their corpses covered in ice were frozen white.

It was as if someone had slammed them into the wall.

‘This… is last year’s expedition.’

“Let’s move forward.”

There was no hesitation in the captain’s voice.

However, the knights’ footsteps became heavy.

They were advancing even when death was imminent.

That was when.

Kukukukukung!

The canyon began to rumble.

The ice walls on both sides shook violently.

“Everyone to the center!”

As soon as the captain shouted, ice shards began to fall.

In an instant, several knights were crushed to death.

“Ahhh!”

Screams rang out.

I quickly pulled out my sword.

This wasn’t a simple natural phenomenon.

With the sound of ice breaking… the canyon walls began to move.

“That’s…”

A giant golem covered in ice fell from the canyon walls.

It was as if the walls were alive and moving.

The golems appeared from two ice walls at the same time and surrounded us from above and below.

“Guardians of the Cold…”

the leader muttered.

They were beings I had only heard of in legends.

The true guardians of Seolhanryeong.

“Form ranks!”

The leader’s order rang out.

But it was too late.

We were already surrounded in the narrow canyon.

Kwakwakwang-!

A giant ice fist slammed down.

In an instant, I flew with the wind.

But not everyone could do that.

“Kwak!”

Two knights were crushed to death by the Ice Fist.

Their screams were drowned out by the sound of the wind.

This way… It was dangerous.

The valley was too narrow, and there was nowhere to run.

We were trapped like rats caught in a mousetrap.

“Attack!”

The commander raised his sword high.

Red energy emanated from his sword.

He was a man of many words, but the knight commander’s power could not be ignored.

The knights began to attack at once.

However, the swords only grazed the ice.

The golem’s body was too hard.

Boom!

The Ice Fist struck again.

This time, three knights were sacrificed.

“This…”

It was hopeless.

We could not escape, nor could we win the fight.

Was everyone going to die like this?

“No… I cannot die here!”

I breathed magic into my sword.

Hindgar’s vision.

I raised the level of my swordsmanship.

In an instant, the wind swept around me.

And the sword began to emit blue light.

“The blade of the wind…”

I took a deep breath.

And I raised my sword high.

“Brother… was I wrong?”

At that moment, my brother’s voice rang in my head.

“Going straight ahead isn’t the best option, Edgar.”

At that moment, I realized.

I could see something on the canyon wall.

A faint path.

It was probably a detour used by adventurers in the past.

“Chief! There’s a path over there….”

But the captain ignored my words.

His sword was already burning red.

“We won’t retreat! We are knights!”

His arrogant shout rang out.

But I knew.

If we continued like this, everyone would die.

“We retreat!”

I shouted.

At the same time, I exploded the wind I had gathered in my sword.

A huge storm arose and covered the canyon.

It was enough to obscure the guards’ vision.

“This way! The path on the wall!”

I moved quickly.

I led the surviving knights and headed toward the narrow mountain path.

“How dare you!”

I heard Rowan’s angry voice.

But now was not the time to protect his pride.

We barely escaped.

We ran along the narrow mountain path for a long time.

Behind us, we heard the roar of the guards.

When we finally got out of the valley, we saw it.

The Sia Kalt Mountains.

A huge snow-capped mountain that was visible through the clouds in the distance.

‘Finally…’

But the sight gave us a strange sense of unease.

The guards of Seolhanryeong. What were they trying to protect?

Was this path we were taking… really the right one?

We walked for another week.

Fewer than forty knights survived.

But Rowan’s stubbornness remained.

“We are knights of the kingdom. We cannot return until we have achieved our goal.”

But his voice lacked the majesty it had once had.

It was just stubbornness to save face.

Everyone knew that he had chosen the wrong path.

The path my brother took must have been different, I thought as we climbed the mountain path.

Surely my brother would have found a safer path, not this reckless direct route.

And since he could not find that path…