Two women—one young, the other old. The younger one wore a full armor with a sheathed sword resting at her waist. The elder one was dressed as a handmaiden. They were walking through the corridor that connected the wings of Einhart Fortress Castle.
"Milady, are you truly going out for inspection tonight?" asked the elder.
"Of course I am. What kind of question is that, Anne?"
"Forgive my rudeness, Milady. But this maid fears the cold might do harm to Milady's health." The elder bowed respectfully.
"Don't worry so much. I am a spearmaster, aren't I?"
"My apologies. I am but an old maid, concerned for her lady." Anne deemed it best to hold her tongue when her lady spoke thus.
They arrived at the encampment. Six of the family's strongest house knights were already mounted and standing by. A knight approached, leading two horses—one white, the other brown. He looked like a man in his thirties. His features rugged and stern, with a scar running across his cheek and grazing his left eye —though the eye itself remained fully functional.
"Your steed is ready, Milady." The knight bowed respectfully before her lady.
"Good. Thanks for preparing everything, Sir Jill." The Young Lady took the reins of the white horse and mounted the saddle with a light jump. The six knights followed, climbing onto their own horses. "I'll go first, Anne."
Anne nodded. "May The Goddess watch over you always, Milady."
The Young Lady paused for a moment, then looked straight ahead. "177th Night Watch, Night of 7th December, Year 435 Dandelophium. Move out!" she called, before the seven horses galloped through the castle gate.
Anne kept her gaze on her lady's back, which faded into the darkness and snow in the distance. She clasped her hands together and slowly whispered a prayer. "Dear Goddess, for this night as well... please bless Lady Evelyn Lionhart. Please keep her and her escorts safe." With her prayer spoken, she turned back inside. Her breath curled in the frozen air like dragon smoke—a quiet testament to the chill of the fortress city.
*
Evelyn was a noble daughter of the Lionhart family, a ducal house that ruled over the northern territory of Avalon Empire, Einhart Territory. She was renowned for two things: her beauty and her strength. Her beauty—a blend of an emotionless expression, flawless white skin, and silver hair—had earned her "The Ice Princess of The North." Her strength was no less remarkable. Her natural talent and intelligence earned her the title of spearmaster by the time she turned eighteen—slightly later than her elder brother, who attained the same recognition two years earlier.
Tonight, Evelyn had chosen to conduct the inspection beyond the city gates, traveling nearly ten kilometers to the foothills that marked the boundary between human lands and the demon continent. She had spent the night scouting the area, accompanied by her six knights.
"There doesn't seem to be anything suspicious this week, Milady." Jill pulled his horse alongside Evelyn and voiced his thoughts.
Evelyn seemed to think for a moment. "Hmm.. probably you're right. Let's return." Then, in one breath, she called out, "Everyone, fall back!"
The horses turned back toward to the city, their hoofbeats thudding softly, muffled by the thick snow covering the forest floor. Evelyn could faintly sense that dawn was only a few hours away. Her senses had become sharper since she attained the rank of spearmaster, including her sensitivity to the movements and whispers of nature.
After nearly half an hour of galloping at full speed, Jill suddenly cried out, "Milady! There's something near the city wall!"
At his warning, Evelyn's gaze locked onto a silhoutte—a black figure standing still before the wall. Her instincts sharpened. It was human-sized. Humanoid in form. A demonic human?But how could one possibly infiltrate this far? Evelyn spurred her horse forward. The others quickly followed.
Her mind remained on full alert. And yet… her instincts detected no danger. None at all. That was odd. A weaponmaster's trained senses should easily pick up on threats from a distance as far as a flying arrow. Was this enemy skilled enough to suppress his aura? If so, that's truly dangerous.
"Ah." as the figure gradually came into clearer view, they realized—it was indeed a human. Still, that didn't rule out the possibility of danger.
When they were a spear's throw away, they saw that the figure was a man.
When it was a stone's throw away, they realized he was staring blankly at the city wall. They pulled their horses to a stop near him.
"Forgive my rudeness, but what are you doing here, sir?" Evelyn asked cautiously as she approached. Doubt lingered in her voice. What was clear, however, was that the man was severely wounded. Evelyn's eyes widened when he turned his head. His gaze was.. empty. And, for some reason, Evelyn felt as though she was being drawn into it. A pair of eyes the same deep shade as his charcoal-black hair.
"Who are you?" she asked, almost unconsciously.
"A..." His pale, trembling lips parted slowly.
??
"A..." But before he could finish, the man lost consciousness and collapsed. Evelyn and the others quickly dismounted. Evelyn knelt to check him—he was still breathing.
"Let's bring him inside," said Evelyn.
"Mi-milady... we can't just bring someone this suspicious inside. It could be a trap!" Jill protested.
"I am fully understanding your concerns. But we can't just leave someone dying out here. Besides, I am a spearmaster, my big brothers and father also swordmasters. The city is protected by elite knights. That's more than enough to handle any danger one half-dead man might pose. I won't repeat myself. Bring him in."
"A-as your wish, Milady."
That night, Evelyn Lionhart rescued an unknown man found dying before her city wall. is appearance was mysterious—his body covered in wounds, and his clothes foreign. And unbeknownst to all who lived under the shade of Ash Tree Yggdrasil, in the fourth Midgard "Dandeloph", a man had appeared—one who would bring about a great change in the fate of the world.