The North would snow for at least half a year, so winter was the subject of both love and hatred in the North.
Winter was the northernerâs most feared enemy and grave, but it was also a shield and cradle. It was common to see northerners walking around with their tops off in the Capital of the empire, even in the middle of winter.
For such a reason, there was a popular rumor about how northerners were numb to cold or they had been blessed by winter, but this wasnât the case.
The rate of incidence was less frequent than in the other regions, but the northerners could also catch a cold. After all, they were human beings. The northerners would dress up properly in the North but wore thin clothing in the other regions during winter to boast their resistance to cold.
It was a popular bluff that the winter in the North was cold beyond imagination.
However, there were times when even the cold-hardened northerners would lock their doors and only stay indoors.
Those times were whenever the Winter Duke was about to visit.
An old man with pale eyes and stooped posture wearing the biggest cape in the world around his shoulder would apparently visit the North. The old manâs cape was so long that it was measured by days rather than inches.
It took six days to measure the distance from the Winter Dukeâs shoulder to the end of his cape. The Winter Duke dragged his cape while patrolling his territory, and then he would return to his land in the North, where spring could never arrive.
During the Winter Dukeâs visit, he would sweep past the entire North. The Winter Dukeâs visit only lasted for six days in a year, but everything in the North would freeze during those six days, which was a phenomenon called the Winter Dukeâs Cape.
The cycle wasnât exactly accurate, but the cold would always subside whenever the Winter Dukeâs Cape disappeared.
Northerners would plan their year accordingly because there was a huge chance that even their strongest warriors would get lost in a snowstorm if they wandered around recklessly during those six days.
Therefore, Ivy Isildin couldnât help but doubt her ears when someone knocked on her door. It was only three days into the Winter Dukeâs Cape. At first, Ivy thought that it had to have been the wind. After all, the only possible visitor she could have these days would be the Winter Duke.
However, Ivy Isildin was once a saintess, so she didnât really believe in the legend of the Winter Duke.
However, it seemed that the cold outside had become corporeal. The knocking was too loud and clear for it to be a mere illusion.
No one answered. Ivy grabbed her spear anxiously. The windows were boarded up, so she didnât have to worry about someone breaking in through the windows.
Honestly, she highly doubted that there was someone outside her door. The Winter Dukeâs Cape wasnât just a severe cold. It brought about it a cold that was too intense that even white bears would freeze, and it had long been terrorizing the northerners.
Ivy was frightened, but she thought that she should open her door just in case.
âWhat if someone got cast away, and they came across my cabin? What if theyâre asking for help from their severe injuries?â
Ivy wouldnât have such thoughts if she had been born in the North. The Northerners would never step outside during the Winter Dukeâs Cape sweeping the North unless they were wearing a rope tied to their house.
It was all because getting lost in the wild in the middle of the Winter Dukeâs Cape meant freezing to death in the proverbial blink of an eye.
However, it had only been six months since Ivy started living in the North. Despite the countless warnings she had heard before she settled in the North, Ivy went against those warnings and decided to open the door.
âThere could be a poor wanderer out there in desperate need of help.â
Ivy couldnât be blamed for having such thoughts.
After all, it was very shocking to even the northerners that there was someone knocking on the door during this period. Most northerners would have covered their ears, started praying, and nailed their doors shut if they were in Ivyâs shoes.
Ivy carefully unlocked the door and opened it slightly. A gust of cold wind squeezed through the small gap in the door.
Ivy felt a burning pain on her face, even though the wind was cold.
Ivy tried to close the door because of the unexpected pain, but the individual outside the door quickly grabbed the handle of the door.
The stranger hurriedly squeezed in through the gap and shut the door.
âI made it!â The stranger was a child in northern winter clothing. The child was wearing all kinds of animal furs, and only her eyes could be seen. Ivy wouldnât have known that the child was a girl if she didnât hear her voice.
The girl hurriedly shook off the snow from all over her. Just like any other ordinary house in the North, there was a space at the entrance dedicated to shaking off the snow on oneâs body.
The girl shook off all the snow and started taking off her jacket, coat, hat, scarf, boots, mask, gloves, and all sorts of clothes. It was only after throwing off her clothes like peeling an onion and hanging them in the doorway that the girl could finally be seen.
The girl looked like a white cyclamen.
Many northerners called cyclamen a winter flower. They were huge fans of the flower because of its tough vitality. The girl was as lively and vivid as a cyclamen sprouting in the middle of winter.
âThank you so much! No one opened the door for me for the past three days!â
The girlâs words didnât make sense in Ivyâs ears.
âThis girl was outside the whole time while the Winter Dukeâs Cape was sweeping past the North? How is she still alive? No, how does she still have so much energy?â
âI thought Iâd have to stay outside for six days wearing those clothes. I donât really like wearing them because theyâre hot and stuffy!â
Ivy found it strange and surreal.
âWho the heck is this girl?â
âWhatâs your name? My name is Nimeria Nelben.â
Ivy inadvertently looked up and stared at the girlâs hair. A silver-haired general immediately came to her mindâshe was the woman who once ruled the North and devoted her entire life fighting the Crack.
In the end, she finally disappeared beyond the Crack.
Most of the imperial people remembered her as the emperorâs eldest daughter, but she was more famous in the North because of her other titlesâthe daughter of the Winter Duke and the ruler of the North.
Ivy could only think of one question upon looking at the girl with hair and eyes resembling Nienna Nelben.
âWhatâs your relationship with General Nienna Nelben?â
Ivy found it strange that she was asking such a question. Nelben was not a family name but the name of the area where Nienna was found. Niennaâs relatives had died in her hands when the Crack encroached on them.
Nienna also hadnât left any children. In addition, it had only been five years since Nienna disappeared beyond the Crack, so there was no way that the girl in front of Ivy was related to Nienna.
At the unexpected answer, Ivy collapsed to the floor. The spear helplessly slipped out of her hand as well. Ivy doubted the girl, but Niennaâs image kept on coming to her mind whenever she glanced at Nimeriaâs hair.
âDo you know my mother?â
â...Of course I do. Everyone knows her.â
âWow, as expected⊠Mother did say that she was a very famous person. She had told me that everyone would keep on asking me about her because everyone knew her. She told me not to tell anyone that sheâs my mother to avoid being bothered, but I guess she was right.â
âI suppose soâŠâ Ivy finally realized that she still hadnât told Nimeria her own name. âAnyway, my name is Ivy Isildin. Have you ever heard of me?â
Nimeria frowned. She looked troubled as she tried her best to remember Nimeria groaned and agonized for a long time. Eventually, she carefully observed Ivyâs expression and said, âI think Iâve heard of you.â
â...I mean, well. I wasnât very important, anywayâŠâ
Ivy wasnât disappointed at all despite Nimeriaâs efforts to avoid hurting her. After all, Ivy wasnât really close to Nienna. The only time they truly interacted was when Nienna rooted for Ivy when she took part in the Western expedition.
Ivy staggered up and started preparing to properly welcome her strange visitor. In the meantime, she made a decision to think of more useful questions she should ask her visitor.
Nimeria was staring intently at the spear on the floor when Ivy came back with some tea and snacks.
The spear was taller than her, but Nimeria seemed like she would have no issues handling the spear. Ivy had no choice but to believe that Nimeria was Niennaâs daughter. It seemed that the daughter had taken after her mother.
âThis is a unique spear. It is entirely made out of iron, but itâs not heavy at all. In addition, the core material is unknown. Honestly, it looks like a big awl rather than a spear,â said Nimeria.
Ivy couldnât afford to answer Nimeria. She decided to ask the most important question she had come up with while preparing their snacks and tea.
âHas General Nienna returned?â
âThen, has His MajestyâŠâ
Ivy wanted to ask about Juan, but she was ashamed of herself, so she couldnât quite bring herself to ask such a question. Moreover, the mistakes she had committed back then were still haunting her.
As far as Ivy knew, Nienna had certainly disappeared beyond the Crack. If her daughter had come from the Crack, it meant that the others could return as well.
âNo, Mother hasnât come back. Grandfather allowed no one else but me to come here.â
âGrandfather? Whoâs that?â
There was a rumor in the North that Nienna was the daughter of the legendary Winter Duke. In other words, Nimeriaâs grandfather was the Winter Duke.
âThe blood relative of an ancient existence with an unknown history, huhâŠâ
â...How is General Nienna doing? What about the warriors of the Northern Amy that crossed over the Crack together with her?â Ivy asked.
âAs always, my mother is still doing what she likes...â
Ivy couldnât help but wonder what Nienna liked to do. As far as she could remember, Nienna had no other hobbies other than killing monsters from the Crack.
However, Ivy suddenly recalled that there were a ton of monsters in the Crack.
âSo sheâs still alive, even beyond the CrackâŠâ
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Ivy had heard about the final showdown, and she thought that it would be wishful thinking to say that Nienna was still alive, even beyond the Crack. After all, it wasnât a hospitable world for humans, thanks to the countless hostile creatures living there.
âThe Crack?â Nimeria asked, seemingly curious. However, she soon understood what Ivy was talking about as she repeatedly nodded. âYouâre talking about the gap in the world, right? The Crack is just a gap. There is a huge world beyond the gap. Naturally, my mother has enough space to stay in that huge world.â
Nimeria smiled and continued. âHowever, I heard that it was a barren land when she first arrived. But⊠um, many people offered to help her at the time.â
âThe Thornbush Priest Organization wasnât the only organization that felt Qzatquizailâs awakening. If Qzatquizail truly awakened, then a cosmic disaster would have transpired. Many people had gathered to stop itâincluding my grandfather.â
Ivy was disturbed by Nimeriaâs horrible story.
Hearing Qzatquizailâs name alone made Ivy feel a shiver down her spine.
âNo one knows who it was that played a critical role in stopping Qzatquizail from awakening, butâanyway, it seems that my mother is respected in this world as well, not just in that world. Sheâs currently living well and is having fun with her life.â
Ivy was relieved to hear that there was a hospitable world for humans beyond the Crack. After all, the many people who had disappeared into the Crack had always been one of the empireâs debt to the people they had left behind.
In addition, Ivy felt like she could finally let go of a burden.
Upon letting it go, Ivy started seeing other things.