Velina Raubtin's Pov

"17th Lariestra, 685th Year of the Dark Deity. Kingdom of Hyogo, Transit City of Begbe. 2:36 PM"

Shivering from the slight chill, I tried to bury myself in the blanket to conserve what little warmth I had left.

For the past five days, I had been unable to find a carriage to the mining town of Fal at the foot of the Kataris Mountains. Due to constant blizzards, storms, and snowfalls, I had to languish in the inn, freezing every morning. Even magic couldn't warm me.

Those who think cold is wonderful are idiots, and being stuck in this town with no way out is pure torture!

It seemed like the weather had finally cleared up enough for me to set out, but as soon as I changed my clothes, so did the weather. Sad, cold, and covered in snow, I returned to my room at the inn and locked myself in for the rest of the evening.

That's how my five days in Begba, a transit town connecting three major roads, not counting the mountain passes, passed.

Although, if we're talking about all my misadventures in the north of the Amaryllis continent, it's worth starting from the beginning.

Unlike the northern lands, where winter lasts four months longer than in the central part of the continent, the north is considered a place of doom. This isn't just because of its border with the North Pole, where monsters dwell, and the constant encounters with them, as well as the frequent appearance of demons in the northern territories, are a real disaster. Above all, it's because of the climate.

The Near North, for example, is much more understandable. Yes, it's still cold there, and there's little space for farmland, but still... much better than the North, despite the world war.

Of course, it's sometimes hard to accept that there's a war going on somewhere and resources are being depleted, but what can you do? It's impossible to help everyone, and it's important to understand this.

The Near North was a wonderful example of how, despite endless conflicts and wars, the local lands retained their beauty. Forests, rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, people, traditions, culture, and everyday life—everything spoke of what a wonderful place it was.

Except for the north.

As soon as I crossed the mountain range, my entire impression of the north changed.

I'd already been warned about how hard life was here, how difficult it was to travel due to the capricious weather, and how difficult it was to find firewood for even modest heating. But all these rumors turned out to be completely false.

First, the cities here look dreary, dismal, and lifeless. Although, looking at the transit cities of the central part of the continent, one would think they would show at least some signs of life. Here, everything is empty. Even the capital looks like a veritable ghost town.

Second, the North itself is often forced to battle beasts, undead creatures, demons, demonic cults, witches, demon lords, and monsters that haunt it day and night. Because of this, the kingdom of Hyogo is considered a warlike state, constantly forced to fight and defend itself.

Third, the balance of anomalies in this part of Amaryllis is disrupted, something the rumors don't mention.

How can I put it... there's a phenomenon in the world called Tera, which is divided into two opposing branches. And anomalies are one of them. There are five of them: magic, shamanism, alchemy, blessing, and curse. Accordingly, these branches have their own sources: mana, spiritual energy, energy, faith, and negativity—all of these permeate the universe.

Of course, in some places these forces are abundant, in others less so, and in others, a little bit of everything.

However, the North seems to have been devoid of any anomalies from the very beginning.

No, it would be more accurate to say that the North has all the signs of being able to use anomalies, but their concentration and balance are the most unstable.

Perhaps this is why storms are so frequent here? However, this part of the continent is still poorly explored, so it's impossible to say anything with certainty.

No matter how you look at it, the Kingdom of Hyogo is a closed country; entry is not open to everyone. This requires a compelling reason, such as assistance on the front lines, and even then, assistance is more often requested from religious communities than from neighboring countries.

It's at times like these that I feel grateful to be part of a religious community and able to travel without even asking, but...

Rising from my bed, I glanced at the letter on my nightstand. Requests from countries are rarely addressed to a specific knight. To be so, one must have social standing or merit on the world stage. However, my request wasn't dictated solely by a government request. The local church had a hand in it as well.

And what are they trying to achieve by asking for help from people of a different faith?

Putting that question aside, I changed into street clothes, wrapping myself a little more tightly than usual.

As soon as I left the room, a spell appeared on the doorknob, and the lock slammed shut. A simple enchanted mechanism that couldn't be opened without the right key. On top of that, the room was enchanted, preventing entry from outside and completely suppressing the anomaly.

No matter how many times I look at it, I'm always amazed.

Going down to the first floor, where the reception desk was located in a dark corner of the hallway, near the stove, I immediately paid for another night's stay and then headed back to the bus station.

I hope I'm lucky today, at least. I don't want to be stuck here forever. Although... I could walk, but if my life is precious, it's better not to risk it.

Noticing the changeable weather again, I noticed the gathering clouds and the occasional snowflake. Sighing, I merely quickened my pace, eager to save time.

The transit town of Begbe was small, despite its many inns, taverns, and inns. As far as I recall, about three hundred people lived here, the rest being travelers, pilgrims, soldiers, adventurers, carters transporting people and goods, merchants, and mercenaries.

Merchants are much more common here, as the villages located on the mountain slopes constantly trade goods and resources, and the goods, mostly mined by prospectors, are sold.

Walking through snowdrifts and the piercing cold, I reached the place where everyone had left.

The local coachmen again looked at me with pity, as if to say, "I'll be freezing outside again."

Well, not surprising. Over the past five days, I'd managed to find common ground with many cabbies, but alas, none were willing to take on my request. Consequently, many behaved awkwardly in my presence. Apparently, they felt guilty for failing to help or for refusing me, while I continued to carry on a normal conversation, as if nothing had happened.

Only one man, about forty years old, brushed the snow off his shaggy hood and smiled slightly mockingly.

"Good morning, Kuntoshka." "Why 'Kuntoshka' right away?" I grumbled, kicking another pile of snow in front of me.

It's sad, of course, seeing the same landscapes five days in a row, but what can you do? I have to accept the fact that the weather will never be on my side.

My interlocutor looked at me as if I were some strange animal uttering words he didn't understand.

What's wrong with him? We used to communicate normally.

Besides, I'm dressed as usual, nothing new in my travel gear. So why is he acting so strange?

Scratching his beard, the man said, squinting:

"Exactly. You're a foreigner. What language did you answer in?"

"What language? Oh, excuse me!"

Realizing my mistake, I immediately began apologizing.

It seems, half asleep, I blurted out my answer not in Northern English, but in Central English.

It's important to remember that not everyone has the opportunity to travel, and many are tied to one place their entire lives. So, I apologize again for my mistake.

The man named Naglez simply waved his hand, saying it didn't bother him at all.

"Oh, come on. It's hard to know so many languages."

"Don't even mention it. Sometimes you forget to switch to the speaker's language and start over."

"And how many languages ​​does such a young lady know?"

"Now am I considered a lady in your eyes? And what about 'girl, be reasonable'?"

"Are you trying to remind me of every single one of my comments?"

"Only the sharpest ones," I replied with a slight grin, to which Naglez only laughed loudly.

"And as for languages, I know all five major ones, not counting dialects, regional peculiarities, and their use in specialized professions."

"And what was your answer?"

"My native Imperial. It's central, to be precise."

"Ah... So that's how it is."

"So what? What does that have to do with me and 'kuntoshka'?"

"Oh, well... there's this little animal here that sleeps until noon."

I pouted.

Did someone just compare me to a little animal that sleeps all the time?

If that looks terrible, that person is in danger of getting a kick in the ass. They'll remember the day they insulted me for a long time.

One fool already paid for his mistake when he bullied me during my knight training.

Naglez merely smirked at my displeasure.

"Don't worry. A kuntoshka is a small animal with a white coat, small and long."

"Like a weasel?"

"Well, something similar, but a little bigger."

"In that case, you escaped punishment."

"And now they punish you for comparing yourself to animals? And the girls from downtown seem to be very sensitive."

"Depends on who you compare it to." If it's a cute animal, any girl would be happy, but if you compare it to, say, a pig...

"What's wrong with pigs? I think they're wonderful animals for comparison."

"Pigs suggest excess weight, stench, poor grooming, and bad behavior."

"Well, it depends on where exactly the excess weight is." A curvy woman has every chance of giving birth to a healthy child and living comfortably.

"That's if she's not overweight."

"Very thin women won't last long. Especially in the north, where excess fat is a vital survival reserve."

"But you have slender girls."

"Of course! Nature isn't kind to everyone. Besides, what difference does it make whether a girl is thin or plump, the main thing is that she'll be happy if you call her a pig."

"Happy?" I'd be offended by such a comparison.

"You don't understand anything. Our boars are quite aggressive and dangerous, but the only thing worse than a boar is a female boar. Quiet and calm, she'll never touch you, but touch a male boar—all hell breaks loose. Never anger a female boar: she'll die for her offspring, but she'll punish the offender. And such creatures are rare among intelligent beings."

"That's the thing. It looks like I'll have to get used not only to cultural differences, but also to a different way of looking at comparisons.

Come to think of it, my poor grandmother once compared me to a sow boar.

So, was he paying me a compliment or telling me I had a lot of strength?

But what difference did it make? All that was in the past.

Looking around, I noticed several sleds ready to depart. I wondered if they were headed to Fal?

Apparently noticing my gaze on the nearby car, Naglez sighed heavily, stroking his beard, which was already covered in frost.

"Perhaps tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to leave."

"Really?"

"Yes. Old Fosse just arrived from Tizou last night and said he was heading to this town."

"And how long has he been in Tizou?"

I couldn't help but wonder, since I'd been in this town five days ago. Or rather, my entire route ran through this medium-sized town.

"If I'd only known I'd be able to meet someone heading to Fal, I would have waited forever. Perhaps I would have bought a couple of books on charms and the basics of witchcraft; they might be expensive, but they would have helped make the wait less difficult."

"Well, about three days."

"So, a difference of three days... Indeed, if I'd known about this earlier, I wouldn't have been stuck here."

"But what's the point of worrying about that? No matter how you look at it, there was no information about a trip to Fal that day. So the difference wouldn't have mattered much."

"And how early will he leave?"

"At dawn, I suppose."

"Won't that be dangerous? As far as I know, nocturnal animals are still active in the morning."

"Old Man Phos is the most experienced of us. Even if he gets lost in a snowstorm, he'll still find his way."

"And yet you're afraid to leave this small town."

"The fact that we're not flying to Fal has nothing to do with fear."

"Then why have I been denied a simple ride so many times?"

"A simple stroll? Seriously! Maybe that's how it was a year ago, but after the battle between the monsters and the dragons, even bison don't want to set foot there."

While he was speaking, Naglez led me into the building to warm up.

Shaking the snow off his coat, the man smiled again and opened the door for me.

Of course, I thanked him for the gesture, but judging by his reaction, he wasn't used to receiving thanks. Or doing anything like that, perhaps.