Chapter 2: Winter Expedition I

The expeditionary force assembled to subdue the ‘witch of winter’ comprised only a handful of individuals. 

Excluding myself, designated as both guide and a potential shield in emergencies, there were merely four others.

Upon reflection, I find it fitting that these few elites are more suitable for the current predicament. 

The empire, grappling with severe food shortages due to the relentless winter sweeping the continent, faced risks in organizing an expedition to secure provisions.

In simpler terms, envisioning the reliable subjugation of the witch with a thousand strong men provided with food seems ideal. Yet, what if those thousand formidable individuals fell victim to the witch and returned as lifeless bodies? 

The empire would crumble that day, losing both sustenance and valuable manpower. The gamble of organizing such a large-scale expedition could render all hope in vain.

However, a smaller party-type expedition poses less strain on the empire’s food resources, and failure would necessitate a subsequent, more manageable endeavor.

The only aspect unsettling to me was the assignment of a role. 

A notorious criminal like myself entrusted with the position of a guide in a noble mission to defeat the witch, almost akin to a hero of the continent, felt incongruous.

‘He’s such a sinister human being, that emperor…it’s almost akin to giving me a death sentence.’

The Emperor’s dark side was starkly visible.

Firstly, the emperor likely forced my inclusion in the expedition to restore the fallen honor of Duke Estel. The Duke’s status as one of only four dukes in the empire likely weighed heavily on the emperor’s decision, rather than genuine concern for the Duke himself.

Duke Estel, situated in the barren north, was from a humble family yet held historical significance dating back to the founding of the empire. The family, legitimizing the imperial family’s power in various regions, held the position of the 4th duke.

In essence, the emperor orchestrated this scenario not out of sympathy for me but to prevent a decline in his power should Duke Estel be overthrown.

Secondly, I undeniably fit the role of a ‘guide.’ Estel Territory, a desolate village in the far north, lacked appeal to adventurers. My familiarity with its topography made me the most suitable guide, despite my criminal background.

Lastly, all expedition members were high-ranking individuals. With only five of us, having a commoner in our midst would have been impractical.

In such circumstances, Duke Cain von Estel would succeed in reclaiming his identity from a criminal to a member of a prestigious expedition set to defeat the witch, and possibly end up dead in the process.

Looking back now, I regret accepting the role of a guide.

No, it might have been easier had I bitten my tongue and died in that dungeon.

One year passed from the expedition’s formation to the witch’s subjugation. 

For that year, I endured literal hell.

****

Firstly, let me introduce the four members of the ‘Winter Expedition,’ destined to be remembered in human history.

Firstly, the sorceress, a woman named Bianca del Castana. 

At first glance, she was a striking beauty, inheriting the Marquis of Castana’s lineage with blazing red hair and a perfectly proportioned body.

But appearances could be deceptive. 

In my eyes, Bianca was nothing more than a demonic presence straight out of Hell.

Her intense hatred for me was complicated, rooted in the deep-seated animosity between the Duke of Estel and the Marquis of Castana. 

The karma from my ancestors haunted me, and I, naively, never expected it to catch up.

Even though I rarely encountered Bianca, she managed to play a significant role in the ‘Winter Expedition.’

“Oh my, isn’t it Duke Estel who is making the whole continent buzz these days? It is truly an honor to have the Duke personally take on the role of a guide.”

When I saw Bianca staring at me, her eyes shining as if she had caught her pray, I was so terrified that I almost lost control of my bladder. Her gaze made me feel extremely uneasy.

In the expedition, I was only a guide, and she was a member of the expedition tasked with defeating the witch.

From there, the relationship between the two of us had already been established.

“…please keep your voice down. Yes, I am a mere guide, so I am not something that notable for Lady Castana to comment on.”

Initially stripped of my title due to my ‘sins’, I had to reluctantly acknowledge Bianca’s noble lineage. It could not be denied that she was a descendant of the Marquis of Castana, and at the same time, a formidable mage ranking among the empire’s top five. Clearly, I lagged far behind her in terms of achievement. So speaking comfortably to her was out of the question.

“Hmm? Then I shall let you go for now. Oh Cain, let’s do well in the future.”

Bianca dismissed the formality without a moment’s hesitation. The hawk-like intensity in her eyes made me realize she was scrutinizing me like prey.

During the expedition preparations, she surprised me by not belittling or insulting me. 

She appeared surprisingly docile, alleviating my concerns about Bianca, whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years. I had naively expected some change in her.

However, I was wrong. 

Like the calm before the storm, the misfortune that would engulf me was just waiting for the best opportunity.

As time passed, preparations were completed, and as soon as the expedition team left the capital and started moving north, Bianca began to reveal her demonic side in earnest, just as a snake revealed its fangs.

“Cain. I have something to tell you.”

“Yes. What is it, Bianca?”

Bianca suddenly approached me, so I promptly responded in order to avoid any issues.

Of course, I thought it would be better to just use honorifics with each other…yet, faced with Bianca’s impudence, I found it challenging to feign familiarity with someone not close to me.

“I left my earrings at the camp where I stayed this morning. Go get it.”

“…the campsite we stayed in the morning? Would it take two hours to get back there?”

“…so, you don’t want to do it now? Huh?”

As soon as my refusal escaped, Bianca’s eyebrows rose.

I knew that damn girl for quite some time, and I knew that Bianca had a habit of raising her eyebrows whenever she didn’t like something. In other words, I knew when Bianca would get mad and use her magic to make a hole through my head.

“…no, you see…there might be demons on the way back. If I get hurt or die on the way there, the schedule of the expedition could be disrupted.”

While spouting such excuses, I looked at the other members of the expedition, wondering if someone would stop this crazy woman, but they all seemed completely indifferent on the matter, and they didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping Bianca. 

And so, I confirmed once again that I was on my own in this damned expedition.

“Um, what. I guess so. If there is no guide, the expedition may be disrupted. You are right. Cain.”

Saying so, Bianca threw a strange looking amulet at me.

“…what’s this?”

“An amulet that makes the demons retreat. It will probably stay in effect for a day, so there is no problem now, right?”

Bianca waved her hands as if to drive away flies, not even paying attention to the bizarre contortion of my face.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going?”

‘The first year.’

Despite my reluctance, running like a dog for four hours seemed more favorable than facing certain death.

Bianca sprinted off to retrieve her earrings, showing no gratitude upon her return. Remarkably, the earrings remained in the depths of her bag for the entire expedition.

These incidents were just the tip of the iceberg among the year-long expedition’s trivial challenges. Bianca’s humiliations provided ample opportunities to test the limits of my patience.

Another day brought a similar encounter.

“Hey, Cain. Are you free?”

At that time I was diligently chopping wood to prepare firewood for a bonfire. If you were to call me the most useless person in the expedition, I would like you to understand that I was struggling hard to help the expedition somehow because my presence was so insignificant in the first place.

‘You don’t even have eyes. Can’t you see I’m chopping wood?’

Of course, I couldn’t get those words out of my mouth, so I couldn’t help but nod my head.

“It is good that you are free. Come into my tent in a little while.”

“Your tent? Why?”

“If I ask you to come in, you should just come in. Why are you talking so much!”

Without warning, Bianca erupted in anger and hastily retreated to her tent.

‘Does she have an anger control disorder?’

However, it wasn’t something new for that b1tch to act like that, so I quietly entered her tent.

“Bianca. I am coming in.”

“Oh, hurry up and come in. Don’t let the cold air come in.”

When I stepped into Bianca’s tent, I was greeted by a warm air that was different from the outside air.

Apparently, she used magic to create a cozy environment for herself.

Every night I had to sleep with all my clothes on so I don’t freeze to death, but the fact that this b1tch slept in a really cozy place really started to upset my stomach.

When I looked up at Bianca, I saw her long, slim white bare legs.

Maybe I had entered the moment she was about to wash her body.

“Why did you call me? Is there anything you need?”

“No, not that.”

Bianca tapped her long legs with her fingers and spoke to me.

“Since you are free…then can you give me a massage?”