Episode 115

“It happened twenty years ago,” Loren began, her voice laced with sorrow, as she recounted the events that had plagued the Tilender Duchy over the past two decades.

Though the land had been largely ignored by its lord, it managed to maintain a semblance of peace, likely due to the reputation of its master, the infamous “Dog of the Empire.”

The trouble began two decades ago with the formation of a vigilante group. Loren had never welcomed their arrival. She foresaw the risks of an unchecked armed faction and how it might spiral out of control.

She had reported the situation to the Duke of Tilender, but as always, her pleas were met with silence.

Under the neglect of its lord, the vigilante group grew bolder, eventually claiming dominion over the duchy. Those who opposed them, including the Duke’s loyal retainers, were systematically removed.

In just a few years, the vigilante group had seized complete control.

Their reign of terror escalated into extortion, leaving the duchy’s citizens destitute and incapable of paying taxes. Loren sold the castle’s valuables to help those who sought refuge, but eventually, even the castle had to be abandoned.

“So that’s why the castle’s treasures are missing,” I remarked.

“I accept whatever punishment you deem fit for disposing of the Tilender estate’s assets without permission,” Loren said, bowing her head.

“No punishment is needed. You and the castle staff have endured a great deal.”

“We may have lost only our positions, but the people of this land are suffering more with each passing day, Your Highness,” Loren said, her voice heavy with despair.

The situation in the duchy was far worse than I’d anticipated. Loren explained that the area around the castle was relatively untouched, as the vigilantes avoided it. However, much of the rest of the land had been ravaged, with many residents displaced and stripped of their homes.

I felt a pang of guilt. I had thought myself diligent in overseeing the empire’s provinces, yet this plight had gone unnoticed under my watch.

“Even after informing the Duke, he did nothing?” I asked.

Loren’s tone turned indignant as she recounted her efforts. “About ten years ago, when letters received no response, I went to Brincia myself to plead for help. But the doors were shut in my face.”

I could only imagine how devastated she must have felt. However, ten years ago was also when Aiden’s father, then the Duke of Tilender, had begun losing his sanity under the strain of the beast’s power.

He hadn’t been capable of managing himself, let alone his lands.

Unaware of this, Loren’s gaze lingered on Aiden, a mixture of frustration and blame in her eyes.

“I reached out to the imperial authorities, only to be told the crown doesn’t interfere with the beasts’ lands. I even sought help from neighboring lords, but they feared misunderstanding and refused to intervene.”

“So you’re asking the Duke to relinquish his title so someone else can take over and handle the vigilantes?”

“Yes, Your Grace. A new lord would drive out those thugs and restore order to the land.”

Aiden remained silent, his expression conflicted.

Having survived the torment of his father’s madness, Aiden had spent much of his life barely holding himself together. Managing an estate had likely been beyond his comprehension at the time.

No one was at fault, yet everyone had suffered.

Seeing Aiden bear Loren’s resentment without a word of defense made my heart ache.

I couldn’t let this cycle of misery continue.

“I’ll take care of it,” I declared.

“Truly, Your Highness?” Loren’s face lit with cautious hope.

“Yes. I’ll clean out the filth plaguing this land. But in return, grant Aiden one more chance. He was unaware of the situation.”

“Unaware? But I sent a letter just last month,” Loren said skeptically.

It was likely that her letter had been buried in the debris of a broken mailbox at the Tilender estate.

Though her suspicion was understandable, I vouched for Aiden. Yet, rebuilding her trust in him would take time.

Aiden, to his credit, offered no excuses and bore her pointed gaze with quiet acceptance.

For now, the priority was to rid the duchy of its most pressing problem: the vigilantes.

Loren identified their base of operations, conveniently located near the “forest beneath the snowy mountain” where we intended to return the wolf’s claw.

“Aiden, send word to the nearest imperial outpost for reinforcements. Tell them to mobilize 10,000 soldiers and meet us at the base of Mount Olina in five days,” I instructed.

“10,000? I could eliminate those vigilantes myself,” Aiden replied.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we need to make a statement this time,” I said.

“A statement?”

“Yes, to let them know that the Duke of Tilender has returned—backed by the Dowager Empress and the might of the imperial army.”

I smiled at the thought of crushing the vigilantes with sheer overwhelming force. Aiden’s lips quirked into a half-smile, dangerous and thrilling.

Though I wouldn’t admit it to him, I found this fierce side of Aiden irresistibly appealing.

After finalizing our plans, I sent a messenger to the northern imperial outpost and prepared for the battle ahead.

The next morning, we departed for Mount Olina.

* * *

By the time we reached the base of Olina Mountain after three days of travel from the Tilender Castle, fierce snowstorms were raging.

It was mid-March, a time when spring blossoms flourished in Brincia. I knew the northern region was cold, but snowstorms in March? That was just too much.

“How does it look? Can we go?” I asked Aiden, who had returned after scouting the trail. Snow had already piled on his broad shoulders.

I brushed the snow off him while he carefully closed the carriage door and shook his head.

“The snow is too thick for the carriage to pass. The villagers say the storm should subside by tomorrow. We should wait and see.”

“Do you think it’ll really stop in just one day?”

I cracked the window open for a better look outside, only to have snowflakes instantly blow into the carriage.

The storm showed no signs of letting up—it looked more like it would keep pouring for the next month.

Aiden quickly closed the window and gently wiped the snowflakes off my face.

“Please don’t expose yourself to the cold, Your Highness. I’ll find a lodging shortly.”

“This isn’t so bad,” I said.

“It is,” he replied firmly, wrapping my scarf tighter around my neck.

Protesting from within my cocoon of scarf and mantle didn’t change anything. By the time we reached the inn, I was still bundled up like a swaddled infant.

We were now in a small village near the base of Olina Mountain.

Olina, referred to as the “Snowy Mountain,” was the tallest peak in the northern border mountain range. Beneath it sprawled an expansive fir forest known as the “Forest Below the Snowy Mountain.”

Our mission was simple: leave the wolf’s claw in the forest, as directed by the Lake Spirit. Once we completed this task, all matters regarding the beasts’ oath would finally be resolved.

As Aiden busied himself aggressively feeding logs into the fireplace, I asked, “Do you think there’s a spirit in Olina Mountain too? The lake spirit mentioned ‘Olina’ when telling us where the wolves would be.”

“Even if there is, I hope it doesn’t show itself. I’d rather not deal with spirits again.”

“Same here,” I agreed, nodding as I recalled the chaos caused by the Lake Spirit.

Despite our efforts, the issue surrounding the Lake Spirit remained unresolved—specifically, the risk of the spirit granting extraordinary powers to someone else with a penchant for shiny offerings.

I sighed, knowing I’d have to revisit how to handle that capricious creature once we returned.

If only spirits could stay out of human affairs altogether. Then again, without the pact Barbados I forged using the spirit’s power, I wouldn’t have met Aiden. That made it harder to hold a grudge.

By morning, the fierce blizzard had miraculously subsided, just as the villagers had predicted.

We admired the clear blue sky in awe as we made our way to the forest below Olina Mountain.

At the dense forest’s edge, where the carriage could no longer pass, Aiden turned to me with a worried expression.

“I’ll go alone.”

“No. I’m coming with you.”

“The path is treacherous, and it’s cold, Your Highness.”

“Which is exactly why I’m not letting you go alone. Besides, look at me, Aiden. Do I look cold to you?”

I was practically a snow beast myself, wrapped in fur from head to toe.

When I tugged my scarf down to make my point, Aiden scratched his jaw, clearly thinking I had a point but reluctant to agree.

Pulling the scarf down further, I took a deep breath of crisp, cold air. The fresh chill filled my lungs, and I exhaled a puff of white vapor. It was invigorating.

This much snow was something I had never experienced before.

With my boots padded with crampons, walking on the soft, crunching snow felt oddly satisfying. I even enjoyed leaving a trail of footprints behind.

Aiden, too, chuckled at the sight, and soon we were holding hands as we ventured into the forest.

By the time sweat began to bead under my fur hat, Aiden stopped and scanned the surroundings.

“This should be a good spot,” he said.

“I agree. It feels like something could jump out at any moment,” I replied, half-joking.

The villager who had guided us confirmed that we were now in the heart of the wolves’ territory.