Chapter 9
“What is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“…Hell?”
“This is my territory.”
Uncle Leviathan poked my forehead.
I stared blankly at the vast land spread out before us.
The desolate northern wind tousled my short hair.
“There’s nothing but rocks.”
“I told you.”
Bleak clouds of dust rolled across the ground.
Uncle’s territory—filled with ashen stone walls—honestly looked like the ruins of a fallen kingdom.
No offense to the people who lived here, of course…
Stone mountains, dyed red by the setting sun, surrounded the area like a fortress, and ominous beast howls echoed from within.
The black, winding canyon looked like a literal black hole—one step inside and you’d never escape.
“It feels even colder somehow.”
“This is warm, relatively speaking. In midwinter, snow piles up higher than you.”
“No way.”
“Bundle up properly.”
Uncle chuckled and pulled my hood over my head.
“Oh—by the way, did you make ointment again yesterday?”
“Ointment? Yeah!”
Along the way, I harvested every Abelita herb I spotted.
I upgraded the knights’ ointments one by one with them—and the response had been great!
“How did you even recognize that weed as Abelita herb?”
Uncle asked, narrowing his eyes.
I rummaged through my small bag, pretending to be distracted.
“My mom was a healer in Eosia.”
“……”
Uncle stiffened.
“So I just picked up a few methods watching her. I read a lot of herb books too…”
“You’re saying you used something you only learned by watching?”
The air grew heavier. I glanced at him nervously.
“…Why? Did I do something wrong?”
Eosia was a small country advanced in medicine and pharmacology.
If you were from there, learning bits and pieces from childhood wasn’t strange, was it?
“Unexpectedly…”
Uncle crossed his arms and lifted his chin. His cheek twitched slightly.
“You might be a genius.”
“Huh?”
“This complicates things.”
He looked genuinely troubled.
Like a parent realizing their kid was gifted and panicking over it.
But why him?
And what do you mean “unexpectedly”?!
What exactly did he think I was?!
“Anyway—seriously!”
I spun my fists like windmills and punched his solid leg.
“You’re even good at massage. Our smart little bean.”
Looking oddly proud (why??), Uncle scooped me up effortlessly.
At the same time, a familiar voice approached.
“Your Grace.”
It was Sir Leon. His injuries seemed fully healed—his shoulder moved just like before.
“Sir Leon!”
I reached out happily.
He hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod.
‘Still stiff-faced, but…’
I knew it. Sir Leon was just bad at expressing himself!
At least he hadn’t threatened to send me away again.
“Your Grace, may I have a moment?”
Leon spoke formally and stepped closer.
“Hm?”
Something soft dropped into my arms.
“Whoa—what’s this? It’s so fluffy!”
“You’re really going all out, Leon.”
Uncle raised an eyebrow, then wrapped it tightly around me.
Instant suffocation.
Easy! Control your strength!
I poked my head out of the white fur, gasping.
“Thank you, Sir Leon!”
It felt a bit excessive for a return gift for ointment…
But refusing would be rude!
Sir Leon looked down at me expressionlessly, then turned his horse and spoke as he passed.
“Not ‘sir’…”
“Huh?”
“Call me senior.”
“…What?”
“Wh—Sir Leon allowed that title?!”
The nearby knights erupted.
What? What does that title even mean?
“You’ve set foot in the land of knights—the North. Joining the Gebert Knights is the natural course.”
“……”
“I’ll be waiting in the order. Welcome in advance, our youngest knight.”
I’m a mage though?!
Ignoring me completely, Sir Leon flicked his cloak and rode off toward the setting sun.
Is this a movie or what?
I turned to Uncle with a horrified expression.
“Is that… how it is?”
“Well… yeah?”
In truth, it only meant he’d train my physical strength.
But I didn’t understand that yet.
I looked like the world had collapsed.
I said I’d be the youngest of your family.
Not the youngest among those pitch-black knight uncles!
We arrived at Zelrox, the northern city where the Gebert ducal castle stood.
The moment we passed through the gates, solid stone houses came into view.
It looked desolate from afar, but surprisingly lively up close.
“Woooah!”
The people welcoming back the victorious knights were bright and cheerful.
Still shy, I hid inside Uncle’s cloak, but I could clearly feel their excitement.
“My lord, we’ll take our leave now.”
The Gebert ducal castle stood atop a hill like a fortress.
Before reaching the main keep, Leon and the other knights bowed deeply.
“Good work.”
At the command, the knights moved in perfect unison.
I peeked out and waved.
“Bye, seniors!”
We’d gone through weeks together—it felt a bit sad.
“Come visit if you get bored!”
“Come even if you’re not bored!”
The knights waved back.
“Um… Uncle. Do your family members know I’m coming?”
“They… know.”
That answer felt vague.
As the castle entrance drew closer, I recalled Leviathan Gebert’s family.
‘First, the old Duke.’
Balrog Gebert—the former duke and Leviathan’s father.
He hadn’t played a major role in the original story.
A great soldier who retired after being injured in battle, then lived quietly in the territory.
‘As for who else lives here…’
Probably Leviathan’s second son, Void Gebert. The eldest was in the south with the duchess.
“My lord, welcome home.”
Many servants were lined up before the castle.
Butlers, attendants, maids, servants.
All looked excited to greet their returning master.
‘Northern people are all so… bulky.’
Especially the maids.
They all looked well over 170 cm tall.
Do you need this build to survive here?!
Truly the Gebert territory—built by hunting monsters.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“So have you.”
“Um… is that child…?”
All eyes suddenly focused on me.
Startled, I buried my face back into Uncle’s chest.
It felt like being prey that had wandered into a carnivore’s den…
‘No. Don’t shrink.’
I have a seal of approval!
I slowly raised my head.
“I—I’m Rubian.”
Uncle went, Oh? Polite speech, and messed up my hair.
“Lady Rubian…”
The maids smiled widely and whispered among themselves.
“So small… fluffy…”
“She’s even smaller than when Lord Void first came here.”
At that moment, a reddish-brown-haired maid stepped forward.
“Hello, Lady Rubian.”
“Yes.”
“How old are you this year? Six?”
Uncle was helping me down from the horse.
I flared up midair.
“I’m eight!”
The maid gasped.
Uncle laughed and set me down.
“Careful. She bites.”
Eight years old?!
Really?!
Whispers spread like waves.
Their reaction was identical to Uncle’s when he first heard.
“…By the way, how old are you?”
Uncle had suddenly asked before we left for the North.
“Seriously? You’re asking now?”
“At least I asked.”
“I’m… eight.”
“……”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Weren’t you… six?”
“Are you insane?!”
I was actually ten.
But since news of a runaway mage was out, hiding my identity—including my age—was safer.
I was small for my age, so lying wasn’t hard.
Still, cutting it down by two years already hurt.
But six?!
Why not say I was born yesterday?!
I straightened my back and puffed out my chest.
Standing fully on the ground only made the size difference clearer.
I felt like a tiny creature surrounded by massive stone mountains.
Annoying.
That was when it happened.
From afar, something fuzzy rolled toward us.
“Faa-ther!”
The furball spread its limbs like a flying squirrel and landed perfectly.
“Void.”
“Long time no see!”
A boy with glossy black hair beamed with moist eyes.
His chubby cheeks were flushed.
‘As expected.’
The furball was Void Gebert, the second son.
“How was the capital? The victory parade?”
He’d been adopted from a collateral branch.
Orphaned by war, if I remembered correctly.
Bright personality. Raised with love by Leviathan and Rosetta.
…Though he seemed big for his age.
Even so, next to Leviathan, he looked like a yelping puppy.
“You’ve grown. Have you been well?”
“Yes! I never skipped sword training, I always finished my meals, and my studies—”
That’s when our eyes met.
Void froze. His pupils shook violently.
“And who… is that?”
He stared at me warily.
“Say hello. You’ll be living together for a while.”
“……”
Void adjusted his fur coat and walked over.
Then said bluntly—
“I’m eleven.”
“…?”
I tilted my head.
“So?”
“…Not ‘so.’ And you?”
“I’m eight.”
A subtle look of victory spread across Void’s young face.
“So I finally have someone under me…!”
Huh?
“Welcome, youngest.”
Didn’t he just say under me?
