SWY 48

Sharhan screamed as if his throat were tearing. At the same moment, Lestel twisted his body and swung his sword. But the blade, thrown off by the sudden movement, only managed to cut deeply into the moving corpse’s forearm.

Muscle split apart, exposing pale bone, but the creature, immune to pain, didn’t even flinch. It grabbed Lestel’s shoulder and immediately brought its teeth toward the exposed flesh.

As Lestel fell backward and dropped his sword, a sharp clack echoed, the corpse’s bloodied teeth nearly bit into the side of his neck. Foul-smelling blood splattered across Lestel’s neck and shoulder.

“Shit, it stinks.”

Lestel spat out a low curse, grabbing the creature’s shoulder and struggling to push it off. The thing snapped its jaws wildly, trying to tear into him.

“L-Lord Lestel! F-Fireball!”

Panicking in the face of danger, Derry conjured a ball of fire and hurled it at the creature’s back. Flames engulfed it, but even as it burned, the corpse continued snapping its jaws.

“I said fuck off, you reek!”

Gritting his teeth, Lestel forced the creature off his body. A crunch echoed as its joint popped loose, and one shoulder swung limply.

“You bastard, die! Do you know who the hell you’re messing with?!”

Sharhan finally reached them, stumbling through the deep snow, and swung his sword with fury. The blade sliced cleanly through the creature’s neck, severing it from the body in one blow. He kicked the head as it rolled into the snow, still fuming.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did it bite you?! Did it?!”

Sharhan’s voice trembled as he turned urgently to Lestel.

“Damn it, answer me! Did it bite you?!”

Lestel grabbed Sharhan’s arm and yanked him into an embrace. Sharhan, stunned, instinctively wrapped his arms around Lestel’s back.

From their pressed chests, he could feel the pounding of Lestel’s heart, fast and frantic. The boiling fear inside Sharhan slowly began to cool.

“Honey, maybe give me a second to answer?”

“Did it bite you?”

Sharhan asked again, this time a little sheepishly, as he pulled back.

“No, it didn’t. Your heart would’ve known if it had.”

“Ah… shit. I thought mine was going to stop.”

He’d been so terrified, he’d even forgotten that if Lestel had truly been hurt, his own heart would’ve responded first. The tension broke, and Sharhan collapsed to the ground. Lestel sank down beside him. He had been more shaken than he let on. The scent of foul blood still seemed to linger around his nose.

Derry, thoroughly frightened, had fallen flat on his back.

The blizzard that had seemed like it would never end finally began to ease. With clearer visibility, the wrecked state of both men came into view. Their hair, faces, and clothes were soaked and in disarray. They stared at each other for a moment.

“You look like a drowned cat.”

“You think you look any better? I told you to stay inside. Why did you come out?”

Lestel brushed the snow from Sharhan’s crown and shoulders.

“The secret–what’s wrong?!”

Sharhan had reached out to brush snow off Lestel too, patting his shoulder, when Lestel flinched. Alarmed, Sharhan yanked open his coat, revealing a crescent-shaped gouge left by a claw. A mark left by the creature.

If not for Lestel’s leather vest, the claw might have pierced his skin. Though relieved, Sharhan’s temper flared again. He leapt up and nearly kicked the severed head again, but stopped.

“…Huh?”

“What is it?”

Lestel came up beside him.

“Isn’t this guy one of the villagers from Gagos?”

The dead man’s face, frozen in death, was familiar, it was the one with the mustache who had once tried to put a knife to Sharhan’s throat. Lestel smirked.

“Looks like he didn’t get far.”

“Do you think any of them made it safely to Gagos?”

“No idea. Even if they all died along the way, it’s no concern of ours.”

Sharhan tilted his head at the cold mockery in Lestel’s tone. He almost asked what had happened while he’d been unconscious, but stopped. Lestel could be distant with others, but he wasn’t the type to mock just anyone. Those villagers had clearly done something to earn his contempt.

Well, it made sense. Two separate groups trapped in the same small space during a desperate crisis? Of course there would’ve been friction.

‘And it was definitely the villagers who were in the wrong.’

Sharhan gave a dry scoff as he examined the other corpses staining the white snow red. They all looked familiar.

“All of them were from Gagos.”

There had been six corpses total, and all of them were former villagers. They’d likely been bitten while fleeing, losing their minds before staggering back to the cabin. Lestel, standing beside Sharhan, clicked his tongue.

“If I’d known they’d come back like this, I’d have killed them myself.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. We just have to be more careful from now on. Who knows where or when the next ones will show up.”

“Right. We nearly got killed because we let our guard down.”

It had been dangerous, but it was a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget.

“By the way, you never answered me. Why did you come out even though I told you to stay put?”

“Oh, right. I found the secret chamber.”

“…What?”

“I, Sharhan Kaios, did what Ailun couldn’t. That means I’m better than you, Lestel. Step up your game.”

Sharhan raised his chin proudly. Lestel shot him a look of mild annoyance. Derry, who had been sprawled out on the ground, suddenly sat up.

“Really? How did you find it?!”

“Come, I’ll show you.”

Sharhan strutted ahead triumphantly.

He pressed the spot on the door where the color was different, and with a clunk, the floor mechanism twisted again.

“Wow! How did you even notice that?! Lord Lestel and I only searched the walls!”

Derry’s eyes went wide in amazement.

“That’s the difference between me and Lestel. I’ve got way better intuition than he does. It means I’m superior.”

Sharhan was visibly puffed up with pride. Lestel, watching him with disbelief, raised an eyebrow and casually slung an arm over his shoulder. Sharhan gave the arm resting on him a displeased look.

“Honey, did you forget there are two things I’m definitely better at than you?”

“And what’s that? Also, would you mind getting off me?”

“Height… and cock.”

Lestel whispered right against Sharhan’s ear. The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down Sharhan’s spine.

“Fuck.”

“Honey, don’t curse just because you’re upset.”

“You used to be smaller than me when we were young.”

“Clinging to the past makes you look pathetic. Right now, mine’s much bigger, and yours is cute and tiny. Face reality.”

“It is not tiny! And can you stop saying cock over and over? It sounds crude!”

“You’re saying it too.”

“I, I’m a mercenary now. You’re still a noble when we get back!”

“The world’s ended, who cares about nobility? Besides, you really think this is all my fault?”

“…Isn’t it?”

While the two of them kept bickering under their breath, Derry had already climbed down into the secret chamber.

“F-food! There are apples!”

His voice cracked with excitement at the sight of real fruit. Lestel peered in too and looked equally excited.

“They hid this well.”

He had no interest in the jewels or gold. Quickly scanning the food, Lestel nodded to himself.

‘We won’t have to worry about supplies for a while.’

With food and herbs secured, all that was left was for Sharhan to recover.

“Can we each have an apple?”

“Of course we can.”

Sharhan answered without hesitation. Delighted, Derry grabbed three apples and handed them out. Soon the cabin was filled with the crisp crunch of biting into fresh fruit.

Derry was so pleased, he didn’t want to leave the secret chamber.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I am. But I’m happy.”

“You’re that happy?”

“Yes!”

Sharhan grumbled a little, but he was just as thrilled. The excitement was enough to make him forget how tired he was.

“Let’s check the other cabins too.”

“Let’s do it.”

Derry tried to climb out, grinning, but ended up awkwardly flailing and held out his hand. While Sharhan had managed to climb up alone, the chamber was too deep for someone smaller and weaker like Derry.

“C-could you help me up?”

Lestel pushed Sharhan aside and pulled Derry up by the hand. Derry shivered, the chill of the hidden chamber clinging to him.

“But you know… I can feel magic down there.”

“Magic?”

“My master once said that during the ancient empire, there were places where magic flowed naturally, and they were always cool like that.”

As Derry spoke, one place came to mind immediately.

The Ice Cave.