Sister, I Hit You Because There Was a Ghost Behind You - Chapter 32
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32. In the Northern Region, Only Blizzards Blow Instead of Romance
A week had passed since leaving the Capital. We rode northward, ever northward.
Each time the biting north wind lashed against my cheeks, it felt as though razor-sharp ice shards were embedding themselves in my skin. The desolate and cruel landscape was one where even the hoofprints of horses were swallowed in an instant by the pristine white blizzard, erased as though they had never existed.
“Achoo!”
I sneezed violently, my entire body trembling. Frost clung thickly to my eyelashes, blurring my vision.
Despite having wrapped myself in a premium mink coat before departure and plastered my entire body with magical heat packs, the bone-piercing cold of the Northern Region was unstoppable.
My nasal mucus was on the verge of turning into icicles, and the chattering of my teeth sounded louder than the horses’ hoofbeats.
Kairik gripped the reins roughly with one hand while wrapping his other arm around my shoulders, asking with concern.
“Are you cold? Would you like me to drape my cloak over you?”
He wore nothing but a thin shirt and a leather vest, yet showed no signs of being cold whatsoever. Rather, beads of sweat glistened on the firm muscles of his neck visible between his shirt collar, gleaming with moisture.
Truly, a Northern Region beast—no, a werewolf’s physiology was biologically different. This man clearly had molten lava flowing through his veins instead of blood.
“Your Highness, aren’t you cold? The snow is falling like this madly.”
“For a Northerner, this is merely a spring breeze. You’re simply too weak. I’ve told you to eat more.”
Kairik chuckled and pulled me tighter against his waist. As my back pressed against his broad chest, the rigid tension in my muscles began to ease. His scorching body heat radiated from behind me, enveloping me completely.
If not for his infuriating mouth, he would have been a perfectly excellent giant heat pack.
“Just hold on a little longer. Once we cross that mountain range, we’ll be in Herzen Territory.”
Demian rode his horse closer to our side.
His silver hair mingled with the blizzard as he exhaled long plumes of white breath, creating a mystical sight. Whether due to the unique physical prowess of a Holy Knight or sheer unwavering faith, he appeared completely unaffected despite wearing only a single layer of Holy Knight vestments.
“I can see the barrier stones ahead. We’re entering the true domain of the Grand Duke now.”
We had arrived at the entrance of the massive snow mountain, the White Fang Mountain Range.
Between towering rock formations that seemed to pierce the heavens, a black stone fortress wall stretched endlessly, settling in with heavy permanence.
The terrible scars carved across the fortress walls like medals of honor—marks from centuries of deflecting the claws of demonic beasts—emanated an overwhelming sense of dread. This was the fortress of the Herzen Family, the guardian of the Northern Region known as the Citadel of Iron and Blood.
As we approached the castle gates, the sentries in the watchtowers hastily lowered their spears and saluted in alarm.
“Grand Duke, Your Highness! Welcome home!”
The massive obsidian gates opened with a heavy grinding sound, and we rushed inside. But the welcoming atmosphere celebrating our return lasted only a moment. The interior of the fortress was consumed by an urgent state of war.
A thick stench of blood carried on the cold air, assaulting us immediately.
Cries of agony echoed from every corner, and the faces of wounded soldiers being carried on stretchers, still gripping broken spears and swords, were etched with deep exhaustion and despair.
Ban, Kairik’s Adjutant and an elderly knight, rushed toward us urgently.
“Your Highness! You’ve arrived!”
He had a blood-soaked bandage wrapped tightly around one arm.
“What’s the situation?”
Kairik leaped from his horse in one fluid motion, asking curtly.
The air froze instantly. The frivolous man who had been teasing me moments before vanished without a trace, replaced entirely by the cold, merciless face of the Northern Grand Duke who commanded the blood-soaked battlefield.
“It’s dire, Your Highness. Taking advantage of the weakened barrier caused by the heavy snow, demonic beasts have been pouring out of the Black Forest in a ravenous horde. The first defensive line was already breached last night, and we’re currently holding the second defensive line with all our strength, but…”
Ban lowered his head in a grim expression. His voice trembled slightly.
“Our forces are critically insufficient. And these demonic beasts are… different from those foolish brutes of the past. They form ranks like a regular army and exploit our weaknesses. They’ve even dug traps to lure our knights into ambushes and encircle them.”
Kairik’s eyes, gleaming with predatory brilliance, narrowed to slits. He peered through the darkness beyond the fortress walls and murmured.
“There’s a commander orchestrating them from behind.”
Kairik grasped my horse’s reins firmly and turned to face me. His tone was the uncompromising command of an absolute ruler.
“Violetta, you’re to go inside the fortress. I’ll have the Servants prepare warm water and food.”
He was checking his weapons and preparing to charge back onto the battlefield. But I had absolutely no intention of dismounting from my horse.
“What are you talking about? I’m coming with you.”
“It’s dangerous. This isn’t the Capital’s playground where you chase shadows around. It’s a real war zone where heads fly from every direction.”
“I know. That’s exactly why I’m going.”
I pulled out my calculator from my pocket and jingled it pointedly. He seemed to have forgotten that I wasn’t the type of woman to sit around warming myself by a fire.
“Your Majesty, in case you’ve forgotten, my specialty isn’t elegant magic—it’s ‘physical therapy.’ And…”
I smirked and pushed my glasses up.
“My territory development site isn’t far from here. I’m not about to tolerate hordes of these grotesque illegal beasts living next to my new territory that I’m investing 153.5 billion gold into. Property values would plummet, so we absolutely need to clear them out.”
Kairik stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out an exasperated laugh. He shook his head as if giving up, but I caught the faintest smile tugging at his lips as he met my determined gaze.
“Unbelievable. A materialist through and through. Fine, do as you please. But stay no more than one meter behind my back. If you get bitten, it’s really going to hurt.”
We headed straight for the second defensive line, where blood was already flowing.
The battlefield viewed from atop the fortress walls was nothing short of hell itself. The pristine white snowfield had already melted into a sickly crimson mush of blood, and thousands of beasts with blazing red eyes were crawling up the walls like madmen.
[Grrrrr!]
The sharp sound of claws scraping the stone walls tore at my eardrums. Wolf-shaped Dire Wolves and massive Snow Bears the size of houses were interspersed throughout their formation.
And beyond them, from within the forest’s deep darkness, an enormous shadow stared down at us with arrogant contempt.
“There’s the one. The alpha commanding the beasts.”
Kairik gripped the fortress wall’s railing so hard it cracked beneath his hands.
“I’ll sever that oversized brute’s leash. Demian, you defend the walls so they don’t collapse.”
“Understood. May the judgment of light and divine protection be with us.”
Demian stood rigidly at the center of the fortress wall, raising his silver holy sword high toward the sky.
“Sacred Sanctuary!”
Whoooosh!
A blinding golden barrier erupted outward in a massive dome formation, perfectly enveloping the fortress wall.
The moment the beasts crawling up the walls touched the particles of light, their flesh burned away, and they plummeted to the ground with agonized screams. The nauseating stench of charred flesh mingled with the blizzard.
“Now! Mage units, archer units—fire at will!”
Emboldened soldiers cheered and unleashed a barrage of attacks. The tide of battle seemed to turn in an instant.
But that was precisely when it happened.
Boom!
The entire fortress wall shook as if an earthquake had struck. The enormous shadow lurking within the forest finally revealed itself in full. Soldiers screamed in terror.
It was… a colossal three-headed serpent, a Hydra, with scales the size of human beings. From its gaping maw poured a torrent of thick, virulent green toxic gas.
“Poison! Everyone cover your noses and fall back!”
The formation descended into chaos in seconds. Kairik leaped over the fortress wall’s railing.
“Move! I’ll handle that snake bastard!”
The moment Kairik hurled himself into the air, his body began to twist and transform grotesquely.
With the sickening sound of bones and muscles expanding, his clothes tore to shreds, and fur—a blend of silver and crimson—bristled across his skin. A towering werewolf with blazing crimson eyes emerged from the darkness, a primal force incarnate.
[Roooaaarrr!]
With a roar, Kairik tore into one of the Hydra’s necks in a single, devastating bite. Flesh scattered, and black blood erupted like a fountain. Beast against beast. An overwhelmingly primal clash of apocalyptic scale had begun.
I watched the savage spectacle unfold from atop the fortress wall with ease, drawing my mana hammer from my waist. The heavy, cool sensation of metal settling into my palm sent electricity coursing through my veins.
My role was clear.
While Kairik handled the boss monster, I would clean up the illegal trespassers attempting to breach the walls, and deliver the decisive finishing blow when the moment came.
“How about we warm up that trembling body of yours?”
I climbed through the fractured gap in the stone wall and, without hesitation, raised my hammer toward the dire wolf’s brow as it bared its grotesque fangs. A perfect full swing, my torso twisted to maximize centrifugal force.
Crack—! Clang!
The dull crunch of a shattering skull echoed alongside the bright metallic ring that sang across the Snowy Plain. The creature’s massive body flew through the air like a home run, crashing pathetically into the snow far below.
I laughed brightly and shouted.
“Nice shot!”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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