Chapter 007: The Collar Touches 3

* * *

“This weather...”

His doubtful eyes wandered through the air. Upon noticing the wandering gaze, Raphman nodded his head and patted the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Even with this weather, it’s still a place where people live. You’ll get used to it soon, whether you like it or not.”

Raphman offered a consolation that didn’t quite feel like one and walked straight through the thick snow. Despite the snow reaching up to his calves, no footprints were left behind where he walked.

A scene that indirectly showed how refined his realm was. But he himself was probably unaware of it. Everything happened subconsciously.

‘Am I going to learn from someone like this?’

“Why aren’t you coming?”

“I’m coming.”

There was no time to be moved. Sighing, Cain silently walked toward their new home.

Schwaltzvein.

It was a house of founding nobles. Since they had been with the Lesser Kingdom from its inception, the territory they governed had to be vast.

Just the small territories included in the barony numbered forty-eight. Considering that they governed most of the northern region, it didn’t fall short even when compared to a duchy.

‘Of course, it’s an empty shell.’

It was a land where snow fell all year round. The firmly frozen hills and bone-chilling streams offered no help at all.

It was an environment of extreme limits and extreme cold.

No matter how vast the land, it couldn’t be utilized, so it had to be abandoned.

“Even if you use magic, it wouldn’t be cost-effective, right?”

The area was vast. Whatever you did, the cost would hold you back. It was unlikely that there was a method that could surpass this.

Suddenly, Raphman’s lips twisted.

“You know well. Cough, cultivating the land is impossible. The belly button would be bigger than the belly. Still, silver and iron mines are found here and there. We can at least keep up appearances.”

Even that wasn’t much. A faint, almost inaudible voice reached his ear. Cain, who heard Raphman’s explanation, could see how desolate the barony was.

It was to the point where the title of one of the Ten Seats seemed meaningless. The size of an individual’s power and the size of a group didn’t always correlate. He understood why Raphman had accepted a disciple so casually.

“Even in spring, the snow won’t melt, right?”

“Spring? Even in summer, the situation is the same. It’s the only place on the continent unaffected by the seasons.”

His vision went dark. Perhaps he would spend his entire life in winter.

“Ha, every day will be Christmas, then.”

“Christmas?”

“It’s nothing.”

Shaking his head, Cain covered his mouth with his collar. The bone-chilling cold brushed past his skin. Perhaps the thought that this might not be the best choice was on his mind.

At the very least, it wasn’t irrelevant. Cain concluded as much.

“Ah...”

After passing through a long cave, a snowy landscape came into view.

A city stood alone in a world covered in snow. The streets were filled with lights, and smoke rose like mist from the chimneys.

He couldn’t help but exclaim. Civilization had taken root even in this harsh cold.

Especially, the castle visible from the high cliff was a breathtaking sight. The central spire of the castle gleamed brilliantly in the morning sunlight.

Raphman, standing at the edge of the cliff, nodded.

“That’s Schwaltzvein Barony.”

“It’s huge.”

The territory was so vast that it seemed to defy perspective. The land itself wasn’t bad. If it weren’t for the climate, it could have easily been the center of the country.

“We can barely manage to be self-sufficient.”

Raphman, who gave a negative answer, turned his back. Did he look bitter? Did he want to leave quickly? Either way, it seemed to reveal deep thoughts.

“Let me warn you in advance, be careful. Just because it’s wide and beautiful doesn’t mean it’s good.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ll understand when you experience it yourself.”

It was a puzzling statement. But since Raphman didn’t seem to want to answer, he didn’t stop walking.

“Wait, just a moment!”

* * *

Pushing through the gently piled snow, Cain stepped into Schwaltzvein Barony and opened his eyes wide. As Raphman had said, this place looked like a place where people lived.

From early morning, people were out clearing the snow from the streets with snow shovels and moving about for their daily work, just like in any other city.

What surprised him was that the clothing was simpler than expected. No one was wearing thick coats. They must have adapted. The residents seemed to be uniformly resilient to the cold.

Cain turned his eyes to a wooden building. The smoke coming from the chimney was impressive.

It seemed there was one on every street.

What was unusual was the smell.

“It’s the smell of sulfur. Is there a hot spring around here?”

“You’re quite knowledgeable for a kid. Yes, it’s the smell from the hot spring that flows from underground.”

“Is there a hot spring in the barony?”

“Yes, the people here end their day by bathing in the hot spring. It has become a part of their daily life.”

‘That’s amazing.’ He marveled. Hot springs were rare even in the empire. Of course, even if they existed, not many people used them.

It was understandable. The empire boasted a relatively warm climate. Rather than going to the sea, few people would seek out a hot spring.

‘But enjoying a hot spring while looking at the snowy landscape...’

It might be nice.

Snow and hot springs. It definitely seemed to have a good atmosphere. Just like how sweetness and saltiness can harmonize, heat and cold could also be friends.

The cool air that hit his lungs and the warm water that enveloped his body could paint a beautiful picture. An experience that couldn’t be enjoyed in daily life would soon become a special value.

A flash of lightning struck his mind.

This could make money.

Instantly, his eyes turned to gold. It had been a long time since he had encountered something that smelled so much of money.

“A hot spring could make money, right? Especially the nobles in the Lesser Kingdom would be interested, wouldn’t they? It’s a place they can’t see domestically.”

“That’s why we tried to promote it as a tourism business.”

It was a statement about the past. Of course, the owner of the barony wouldn’t have missed such an idea. It was natural for Cain’s words to trail off when he saw Raphman’s expression stiffen.

“It didn’t go well, did it?”

“Hm, you’ll find out in due time.”

What could be so complicated? Cain shrugged and quietly swallowed his words. Raphman, regardless of Cain’s reaction, turned into an alley.

Cain, who changed his direction, hurriedly followed.

“Is there a reason to suddenly go to such a secluded place?”

“There’s something I want to check.”

He asked just in case, but as expected, he only got a short, dry answer.

As they turned from the main road into the alley, the atmosphere immediately became heavy. Sticky moisture clung to the skin. Despite the difference of just one street, the surroundings became unrecognizably dark.

The bright atmosphere from just a moment ago seemed like a lie. Many people moved quietly like rats.

Suspicious items were being exchanged, and overt gestures were being made. The sound of sharpening blades echoed through the streets, and not far away, the sound of arguments could be heard frequently.

‘This is completely...’

The alley itself was a den of criminals.

Suddenly, Raphman stopped. He had spotted a group in the open space where the alleys converged.

The tattoos on their bodies and their flashy movements. They were clearly thugs. Occupying the open space, they were harassing a woman without a care in the world.

“Has the security deteriorated this much?”

Although the voice was low, as if it would be carried away by the wind, Cain didn’t miss it. He thought he understood what Raphman wanted to see.

A man finally noticed Raphman and took a step forward. He seemed to have forgotten about harassing the woman and chatted with his companions.

“Hey, buddy. Seeing you crawl here, you must be new to the barony... I have to go in with this guy right now. Got some money?”

“I don’t. I have a question. Who gave you permission to harass the residents here?”

Perhaps because he had seen the scene, his tone was more irritable than usual. But the man, who didn’t understand this, slapped his forehead as if to say, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Wow, you’re a rare one. Are you a wandering knight pursuing justice? ‘Yah, take my sword!’ or something like that?”

The man’s companions burst into laughter at his witty answer. The grating sound of metal filled the alley in an instant.

Raphman’s answer was short.

“Sure, take it.”

Crack. The scabbard attached to his waist shot forward and smashed the man’s nose. Unable to withstand the shock, the man stumbled backward and fell awkwardly, causing a commotion.

It happened in the blink of an eye, but the thugs immediately understood the situation and picked up their blades.

They couldn’t afford to lose momentum.

As soon as this thought crossed their minds, they rushed at Raphman. But it was futile. Every time Raphman waved his hand, the scabbard flew out and accurately shattered the foreheads of his opponents.

He was thought to be a wandering knight with a broad sense of justice, but he had such skills. But it was too late to regret. The situation had escalated to a point where it couldn’t be stopped halfway.

Thugs from all sides rushed at Raphman to catch him. Many blades advanced, but they only swished through the air.

Raphman, who moved as if he had eyes on his back, had no blind spots.

Thugs, who couldn’t form a network of veins, couldn’t avoid the scabbard that shot out like an arrow. They fell like straw without putting up any significant resistance.

When he had knocked down about half of them, something unexpected happened.

“Stop!”

A rough voice grabbed Raphman’s ankle.

As he hesitated, turning his head, the man smirked and pointed a dagger at Cain’s neck. The blade pressed against the nape of his neck, and the tender skin began to tear.

“Get on your knees before this kid gets a hole in his neck. Drop your sword and do it now!”

A cold chill ran down Cain’s neck, and he let out a nervous laugh.

“What do we do now?”

Sir Raphman.

He didn’t finish his sentence. If Raphman realized his true identity and ran away, everything would be in vain.

As if reading Cain’s thoughts, Raphman frowned.

“Don’t play around. I didn’t stop because I wanted to see this. You know better than anyone that I didn’t.”

“Can’t I even joke?”

“What are you...”

The man’s words didn’t finish. Using the man’s wrist as a pivot, Cain spun like a flying squirrel.

Instantly, a cracking sound echoed.

The man, looking at his wrist bent at an odd angle, screamed. Cain, who caught the falling dagger, swung his arm indifferently. The sound of the blade cutting through the air echoed in the area.

“Gah, aah!”

With the dagger also embedded in his foot, the man lost his mind and went berserk.

“Shut up.”

Cain, who leaped high and kicked the man’s head, landed on the ground. It happened in a split second, but no one missed it.

“What...”

All that came out was a breathless exclamation. The fluid movements left the thugs, who were facing Raphman, in shock.

When the child was caught, they seemed to regain their momentum. They thought it was just a matter of finishing the job.

But what was happening?

The result was the opposite. They had to face not one but two opponents. It wasn’t surprising that a despairing exclamation escaped their lips.