I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 762 - Side Story 35: Torch of the Bitter Cold (1)

Was it because he had come further north? Even as spring arrived, the chilly air now held the coldness of bitter winter.

Even in the northern part of the continent, other regions still gave off a warm feeling, but the Yuta Kingdom was different.

-Whoooosh!

Snow storms were still raging here. The world was pure white. With each exhaled breath, the mist was torn apart by the snowflakes in the air. Even the warmth of spring could not push away the harsh winter of this remote place.

"This place is still the same."

Winter in the Yuta Kingdom had not yet ended. However, it wasn't surprising. This scenery was everyday life here. That's why the people of the Yuta Kingdom lived even harder.

The environment was harsh, and there were many wild beasts. Food was not abundant either.

That's why the people who survived here had no choice but to be strong and tough. They struggled every day. Sometimes it might appear violent and barbaric to others, but that was their way of surviving.

A country that pulsed more intensely than any other nation, even in the bitter cold, that was the Yuta Kingdom.

'If it were other people, they would have frozen in place the moment they faced this cold.'

Even such a bitter cold could have no effect on Rudger.

The coat he was wearing was engraved with protective functions, and Rudger, who already possessed transcendent power, was no longer affected by environmental factors such as heat or cold.

Beyond the cold coniferous forest covered with pure white snow, the scenery of a city was visible.

'The location is... a city somewhat away from the capital.'

He had aimed for the capital when using spatial movement, but it seemed the position had twisted slightly due to weather deterioration. It meant that spatial movement magic wasn't that accurate or perfect.

'If it had been Rene, she would have gone directly to the desired place without such problems.'

That was possible because she was born with spatial mana, and for Rudger to achieve that would require various trials and errors in the future. Of course, that period wouldn't be too long.

'I thought it was a familiar place, but is this Demarkirie? It's a city about 20km east of the capital.'

Well, about 20km could be considered within the margin of error. Crossing distances between nations and only this much. And it was an error that could be reduced gradually, wasn't it?

There was no rush. It didn't matter even if he couldn't meet Yekaterina in the capital. It was enough just to recall how he looked back when he was active as a mercenary.

'But of all places, Demarkirie.'

Though he had been active as a mercenary, this place was particularly memorable to Rudger. The proof was that he remembered the name just by looking at the city's appearance and geography. Was it a good memory? It wasn't. There was no way memories related to war could be good.

'The timing is...around when the civil war was just ending.'

He hadn't aimed for it, but the timing worked out coincidentally.

Rudger slowly headed toward Demarkirie.

The city was covered in snow, and people walked the streets pulling their clothes tight. The city had developed more than when he had seen it before.

Buildings that had collapsed due to the civil war had been restored, and new buildings he hadn't seen before were also visible.

Several years had passed since the civil war. It was enough time for the traces of destruction carved that day to be restored.

Rather, after the civil war ended and with the newly ascended Tsaritsa, the Yuta Kingdom came to enjoy unprecedented glory.

'It seems she's doing well.'

As he walked the streets, people's gazes turned toward Rudger. Probably because he was wearing a coat in this bitter cold weather, that appearance caught the eye.

However, because of that expensive-looking coat and Rudger's appearance that matched it, they seemed to dismiss him as a mage or noble.

'Did I draw too much attention?'

Rudger entered a nearby clothing store.

Since he was drawing too much attention, he adjusted his outfit to be as unsuspicious as possible.

He purchased a scarf, hat, and warm gloves. Once he wore them, he could blend in better with the surroundings.

The wind that had blown strongly at first calmed down. Rudger stopped in place. He saw people moving somewhere.

Adults, children, elderly—everyone without exception was moving in one direction, which aroused his curiosity.

How long had it been since he quietly followed that procession? A national cemetery came into Rudger's view.

People went to gravestones piled with pure white snow, cleared the snow, and placed flowers in front of them. Some bowed their heads, while others clasped their hands together and offered prayers.

'A grave honoring the victims of the civil war.'

Because of the Yuta Kingdom's civil war, the War of Frost and Flame, many lives vanished futilely.

That's why the people of the Yuta Kingdom made gravestones to never forget that day. To honor everyone who died in the tragedy.

It didn't matter whether they were of the prince's faction or the princess's faction as subjects of consolation. They were all people of the kingdom.

'Civil war, is it?'

Right. This city too had been swept up in the civil war. Among the various battles that occurred during the civil war, it was a place where one of the fiercest fights had taken place.

Rudger had also participated in it. The battle that gave the disadvantaged princess's faction the opportunity to finally seize victory.

But for that, too many people had to shed blood. Among them was a man who remained in Rudger's memory.

The excellent sniper who had gone out alone with his gun to stop the enemy's attack.

Rudger looked around the gravestones. But his name wasn't visible anywhere.

That might be so. He couldn't even recover the body, and his final moments were not inside this city but in a remote forest outside.

Perhaps no one would remember him. Except for himself, who had that final conversation with him as he departed.

Rudger, pulling down his hat, turned away. He went against the crowd heading toward the national cemetery.

Rudger, who left the city like that, rose with the wind and headed toward a forest.

Most forests in the Yuta Kingdom consisted of coniferous forests. Since everything was covered in pure white snow, wherever you went, the scenery was bound to be similar.

But Rudger could tell. As he arrived at the forest and got closer to that place, his memory became rather clearer.

Eventually, Rudger arrived at a cabin.

The cabin, untouched by human hands for several years, was half-collapsed under the accumulated snow.

However, even the half that remained stimulated old memories. Along with the appearance of civil war comrades who had sat facing each other inside there.

"Are you still somewhere in this cold forest?"

Rudger rose again and wandered through the forest. He didn't know exactly where he had fought what battle.

However, he had a rough idea. He was a born hunter and sniper.

The enemies had been chasing through the forest from beyond the ridge. The routes they could move were limited, so the points to effectively block them would be restricted.

Rudger scanned the likely locations.

"Found it."

Rudger landed in front of a tree. The large tree was fine despite the passage of time, but its scars still remained.

Bullet marks embedded throughout the tree. Some of the other nearby trees had parts torn away by explosions. They were traces of battle.

Rudger moved following those traces. Between the sounds of howling wind, gunshots rang out like hallucinations. With each clue he found, it was drawn like fitting puzzle pieces together, showing what kind of battle had taken place here.

Screams, gunshots, and explosions.

The maximum chaos one person could create by sacrificing their life. However, ultimately outnumbered, under the gradually closing pressure of enemies, he would have had no choice but to be chased. As his wounds increased one by one and he exhausted all the cards he had, he nevertheless became bait to draw the enemies' attention.

Crunch. Crunch.

Rudger walked through the coniferous forest. In front of him, he saw like a phantom the back of that man running while shaking off the enemies.

His cloak, which should have originally blended with the snow, was stained with blood that could belong to anyone.

Was it the enemy's? Or his own? Probably both.

Blood dripped where he passed. Red was vivid on the pure white snow field. Following those traces, he soon arrived at one location.

At the center of a small clearing where trees couldn't grow properly.

Rudger closed his eyes but his mind vividly drew the situation at that time.

After excessive blood loss, he stopped here. And would have collapsed. Gasping for breath, receiving snowflakes falling from the sky. Finally drawing his last breath.

This was that man's final destination.

He looked up at the sky. The sky full of dark clouds was endlessly pouring snow. Within it, Rudger stood at the center of the clearing, leaving footprints.

The place where an unsung hero met his end. Therefore, at that center where he thought there would be nothing, something small was rising.

"This is..."

Rudger lightly blew away the accumulated snow with mana. What had been hidden under the snow revealed itself.

It was a small gravestone. It was a crude appearance with stones somehow piled up as much as possible, but it was definitely a gravestone.

Compared to the gravestones of other victims, it was too hastily made, a modest level. But Rudger felt curiosity first rather than anything else.

"Just who..."

Someone had made a grave here. How on earth? Only a very few knew the situation at that time. Could someone have come and actually made a grave here?

It was at the moment he thought that.

Along with a crunching sound, someone's footsteps were heard. Was it because he was focused on the grave? Even though the other person had come close, he was late in noticing.

Rudger slowly turned his head. There stood a woman wearing a robe pulled over her head.

Of all things, who would have imagined encountering a person in such a remote forest? Just as Rudger thought it unexpected, the other person seemed to feel the same.

"You..." 

"You..."

The two opened their mouths simultaneously and then closed them.

In the snow-covered forest, the two felt each other's presence more clearly than anyone else.

How could they not recognize each other?

The woman pulled back the hood that covered even her head. And what was revealed was silver hair that shone more purely and beautifully than snow. The person that silver hair signified was only one in this kingdom.

The Queen of the Yuta Kingdom. The woman who planted hot flames in the people of the cold land, who became everyone's beacon.

The Torch Queen Yekaterina Volsbaya.

Though three years had passed, she, who had become even more beautiful with time, stared at Rudger with a blank gaze. She too had recognized that the other person was that Rudger.

"This grave. Did you make it?" 

"Yes. I made it myself. And every year, whenever we honor the civil war, I come here in person." 

"I see."

Though they were two people meeting after a long time, there was no dramatic reaction. Yekaterina approached and stood beside Rudger.

Her gaze turned toward the grave. The too-crude grave she had made with her own two hands.

"Now that you're a queen, is it okay to come here alone without anyone?" 

"It's not just a day or two. Now everyone just accepts it. Of course, they're waiting outside the forest." 

"I told you until my mouth was worn out to maintain dignity as a queen, but you still utterly don't listen." 

"I am working hard, you know? However, sometimes I need freedom too." 

"Is that so?"

Rudger chuckled.

"I thought you'd be alone and lonely, but it seems that was my misconception." 

"All I could do was make this crude grave like this." 

"No, it's not a crude grave."

The moment he saw this grave, Rudger could feel the sincere respect toward the other person.

That's why he was relieved. That's why he was grateful.

"That guy too, surely, would be grateful."

And Rudger was grateful too. For not leaving his old comrade-in-arms alone and lonely.

For a moment, silence lingered between the two. It was Yekaterina who couldn't endure it.

"More than that, why are you here? Without a word! If you were coming, you should have at least told me!" 

"Didn't you hear the news that I returned and was executed?" 

"Of course I heard! And of course I knew you'd be alive too!" 

"Right. I'm alive as Rudger Chelici."

Yekaterina seemed to know that getting angry was useless and let out a deep sigh.

"I was planning to visit you anyway. Though I never thought I'd meet you here like this." 

"Same for me." 

"Still, it saved me unnecessary trouble."

Rudger took off his hat and brushed off the accumulated snow.

"Since we're here, let's talk. About how we've been doing." 

"Yes. That's right. I have sooo~ many stories I want to hear."