Chapter 142: The Eternal Rest in The Eternal Winter
My feet sank into the snow. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“It’s been so long… My stamina is…”
As I climbed, my steps slowed due to the thick layer of snow. Of course, I was the only one struggling like this. Sigren was perfectly fine. I had confidently told Jeron I would join the search party, but now I felt rather pathetic.
Fortunately, the search area had been narrowed down, thanks to Jeron sending out scouts before I arrived in Heilon. However, the problem was that this zone was the most dangerous. It was a place too risky for ordinary soldiers to enter, as they could easily be caught by the dragons.
Kieeeekkk!
The pained cry of a dragon echoed from a distance.
I turned my head toward the sound, feeling a surge of worry. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Sigren.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Can you come with me to where the dragons are?”
To reach the area with the dragon, we couldn’t take many people—two or three at most. The larger the group, the more noticeable we would be.
Sigren looked at me curiously but nodded.
“Alright.”
“It’s dangerous. You don’t even ask why?”
“Because you look like you’ve figured something out. If I go with you, I’ll see for myself.”
There was some resistance from the knights and soldiers who accompanied us, but I left them to search the other areas while Sigren and I made our way up to where the dragons were. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
The closer we got, the more the ground rumbled beneath us.
“There’s a burn mark here,” Sigren observed.
“Yes,” I agreed, noticing the faint traces of black ash.
The mountain path became more and more treacherous. If I didn’t stay focused, I could easily get lost.
Now that I’d dragged Sigren all the way here, I figured I should tell him a bit about what I knew.
“Sigren, a long time ago, dragons used to interact with humans.”
“Really?”
What I was about to explain was more like a forgotten part of history. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Yes, there was even a time when dragons were praised for possessing all the wisdom of the world.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard of that.”
“Well, maybe it’s from an era lost to time.”
“How do you know that?”
The problem was, I couldn’t answer that question.
“Wait,” Sigren suddenly stopped. “There are signs of a fight.”
I looked around too. Just as he said, there were sword marks and drops of blood.
Sigren lightly touched the bloodstains with his fingers. “This isn’t old. It hasn’t been long.”
There were a lot of monsters nearby, likely due to the dragons’ presence.
“They’re being chased by monsters!”
We quickly followed the trail. Whoever the blood belonged to was likely a survivor. The trail led us closer to where the dragons were. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren frowned and carefully drew his sword.
“If we go any further, we’ll be spotted.”
“Then, I’ll have to try talking—”
“Shouldn’t we be running away instead?”
Sigren suddenly narrowed his eyes.
I quickly realized what he was looking at.
In the distance, we could make out a human figure, surrounded by a group of monsters.
I widened my eyes. “It’s the Duke!”
The monsters, noticing our presence, shifted their attention from Abel to us. As I prepared to cast a spell, Sigren stopped me. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“If you use your magic here, you’ll attract the dragons’ attention.”
“Ah…”
“While I handle the monsters, you get to Abel. I think he’s hurt.”
“Okay.”
Sigren swiftly charged at the monsters while I ran toward Abel as fast as I could.
Abel was barely holding himself up, his sword stuck in the ground for support. Seeing him up close made my heart race—he was covered in blood.
“Duke…”
Abel blinked slowly before focusing on me with a frown.
“A ghost?”
At least he was conscious enough to speak. “Not a ghost!”
I quickly pulled out the first aid kit I had brought. He was drenched in blood, but I couldn’t tell where his wounds were. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“This is real, right?”
“Yes, you’re seeing me, right?”
Abel let his sword fall slowly, his body sagging under its weight. I had never seen him like this before.
“Fiona, I think it’s too late.”
“Don’t say that…”
What should I do? His injuries seemed severe, far beyond basic first aid. I felt a wave of helplessness wash over me.
“Fiona.”
“Yes?”
“For the last time… call me father…”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “Not the last time!”
“Hurry… up…”
I could sense Sigren approaching from behind, having finished off the monsters. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Father…”
Abel closed his eyes with a faint smile. “I wish I could hear it more…”
“Then hold on… as long as you’re alive, you’ll hear it more.”
“Promise then…”
At that moment, Sigren let out an exaggerated sigh, as if the situation was ridiculous. He nudged Abel’s leg lightly with his foot. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Sigren! How could you treat a patient like that?”
“Why don’t you act more mature, Master?”
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