Chapter 14
The mountain terrain was far rougher than Eliana had expected.
There was no proper path to follow, and the dense forest canopy blocked out most of the sunlight. Damp, chilly air brushed against her skin, making her instinctively lean backward again and again.
But every time she did, the firm muscles beneath her shoulder blades stiffened her entire body.
Tristan wore nothing over his linen tunic except a leather pauldron protecting his right shoulder, making the solid build of his upper body feel all the more pronounced.
And with the considerable difference in their size, it felt less like she was simply riding behind him and more as though she were wrapped in his embrace.
“We’re almost there,” Tristan said quietly. “The fortress I mentioned is just ahead. We can rest there.”
Perhaps he had noticed her constant, awkward shifting, because he loosened the reins ever so slightly as he spoke.
Eliana had been skeptical that any fortress could exist in the middle of such an unforgiving mountain.
Moments later, she saw it with her own eyes.
“…Wow… My lord, what is this…?”
Loras stared at the ancient gray fortress before them, his mouth hanging open.
It wasn’t particularly large, but it still possessed the unmistakable appearance of a proper stronghold.
With Tristan’s help, Eliana carefully climbed down from Tis’s back and slowly surveyed their surroundings.
Towering above the thick vegetation, the fortress bore the scars of time. Parts of its walls had collapsed, and tangled vines crawled over the stonework. Yet considering it had been abandoned deep within the mountains, it was astonishingly well preserved.
“No… How is this place still standing?” Loras exclaimed as he strode toward the front gate. “In this condition, it should’ve become a bandits’ hideout ages ago.”
He stopped abruptly after only a few steps.
“Huh? My lord… could this be…?”
“A barrier,” Tristan answered as he walked over beside him. “It’s the reason neither beasts nor bandits can set foot here.”
“It doesn’t feel like anyone’s actively controlling mana…” Loras muttered, narrowing his eyes. “Wait… could it be a barrier stone?”
“More likely an artifact. I haven’t found it yet.”
“So you’ve been here before, my lord?”
“…A very long time ago.”
His brief reply was followed by a smooth, practiced motion as he drew the bastard sword from its scabbard.
The moment Loras saw it, he hurried back to Eliana.
“W-What’s wrong, Loras? Is something there?”
“It’s the barrier! You’ll understand once you see it!”
Still bewildered, Eliana looked where he pointed.
As expected, Tristan’s sword suddenly hummed.
A bluish aura enveloped the blade, and with a single sweeping strike through empty air—
The space itself split open.
“W-What is that?” Eliana gasped. “There wasn’t anything there just a second ago…”
It was unlike anything she had ever seen.
Now that a crack had formed, she could finally make out an impossibly thin veil surrounding the entire fortress.
The fissure widened little by little until it became large enough for a person to walk through.
“Come,” Tristan called. “It’ll repair itself soon.”
He tilted his head toward the two of them, who stood frozen in amazement.
Still struggling to believe what she had witnessed, Eliana stepped through the opening, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
When she glanced back a moment later, the crack had already sealed itself completely.
There wasn’t even a trace left behind.
“I swear…” Loras shivered dramatically. “No matter how many times I see it, it still gives me goosebumps. Our lord’s probably the only person alive who’d split open a barrier that brutally.”
He clicked his tongue with a sympathetic sigh.
“And maintaining a barrier this powerful with an artifact instead of a barrier stone would’ve taken an unbelievable amount of work. If the mage who made it knew someone broke through it this easily…” He shook his head. “I’d almost feel sorry for them.”
Perhaps it was the empathy of one mage for another.
Tristan, however, ignored Loras’s chatter.
He tethered Tis in the courtyard before walking into the fortress.
Fortunately, the central hall had suffered relatively little damage, and before long they had turned it into a respectable shelter.
“It won’t be comfortable,” Loras said apologetically, “but it’s much better than camping out in the open. Thanks to the barrier, almost nothing can get near us.”
“That curtain-like thing we saw earlier…” Eliana asked curiously. “Was that the barrier? And what did you call it? An arti…?”
“An artifact!” Loras replied enthusiastically.
“It’s an object infused with mana and enchanted to perform magical functions. Unlike a barrier stone, which exists solely to maintain a barrier, an artifact does whatever its creator engraved into it. It can cast offensive magic, create barriers like this one, or countless other effects. Creating artifacts is considered one of the highest forms of magic.”
His eyes sparkled as he explained every detail.
Whenever the topic turned to magic, he became as excited as a child.
The sight made Eliana smile without realizing it.
“So… does that mean there’s a mage here now?”
“No.”
Loras shook his head.
“That’s actually another reason artifact magic is considered so advanced. The spell continues working even if the caster isn’t present.”
He paused before adding,
“Even if they’ve died.”
“…I see.”
Eliana looked around again.
“Then… where is this artifact?”
As Loras settled into the hall, he continued his explanation.
“I mentioned that mana is infused into an object, right? Most mages also cast concealment magic over it. Unless you’re the creator, it’s incredibly difficult to identify which object is the artifact.”
He glanced around the room.
“The fireplace could be the artifact.”
“Or perhaps that candlestick.”
“No matter how sensitive your magical senses are, unless you physically touch it, you usually can’t tell.”
His explanation fascinated Eliana.
She had often spent entire days hiding away in the Crowde family’s library, reading books by herself.
Yet not a single one had ever spoken about magic.
Her mouth still slightly open in wonder, she looked around the fortress, imagining the unknown mage who had created the artifact to protect this lonely place.
Eventually, her gaze settled on Tristan.
As though accustomed to situations like this, he had already unpacked their belongings and stacked dry firewood beside the fireplace.
“Why don’t you two rest for a while?” Loras said. “I’ll take a quick look around, just in case.”
With that, he headed outside.
The sun had begun to sink beyond the mountains, painting the sky a deep crimson.
Silence settled over the ancient fortress.
Now that they were alone, Eliana suddenly became acutely aware of the awkwardness between them.
She absentmindedly fidgeted with the hem of her skirt.
“Is something bothering you?”
Tristan’s low voice broke the silence.
“N-No.”
She quickly shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
And she truly was.
When Loras had first mentioned camping outdoors, despair had nearly overwhelmed her.
But thanks to Tristan bringing them here, they wouldn’t have to spend the night sleeping on bare ground beneath the open sky.
Even if she had to lie on a blanket spread across cold stone instead of a soft bed…
This was more than enough.
She quietly watched Tristan place dry branches into the fireplace.
The reddish flames flickered, accentuating the sharp lines of his handsome face.
After spending several days beside him, she realized he was nothing like the man the rumors had described.
He certainly appeared cold at first glance, but he didn’t resemble a madman obsessed with slaughtering monsters.
On the contrary.
He was calm.
Collected.
Every movement carried an effortless dignity.
More than anything…
There was an unexpected gentleness in the way he treated her.
Even earlier, when she’d repeatedly lost her balance on horseback, he hadn’t shown the slightest irritation.
Instead, he had silently supported her from behind, careful never to make her feel uncomfortable.
“It looks like there’s something you want to say.”
Sensing her unwavering gaze, Tristan looked up from the fire and met her eyes.
“No…”
She hesitated.
“It’s just… you’re different from what I imagined.”
“And what exactly did you imagine?”
Caught off guard by the question, Eliana’s eyes darted nervously from side to side.
“I suppose you don’t have to answer.”
A faint smirk tugged at Tristan’s lips.
“The rumors say I’m a lunatic who lives only for the scent of monster blood.”
“…Rumors have a way of becoming exaggerated.”
“Perhaps.”
He let out a quiet chuckle.
“But they aren’t entirely wrong.”
Hearing him dismiss the stories surrounding himself so casually gave Eliana the courage to voice the words that had been lodged in her throat since yesterday.
“There’s… something I still haven’t told you.”
“About myself.”
Tristan simply looked at her, his expression unchanged.
“I’m… different from other noble ladies.”
She lowered her gaze.
“You may have already realized that, but…”
The words refused to leave her lips.
They trembled uselessly before she finally forced them out.
“I…”
“I don’t know how to do very much.”
She paused for a long moment before continuing.
“I don’t know if my father already told you, but… I was adopted when I was seven years old.”
“I don’t remember anything from before then.”
“So… I know nothing about my own bloodline.”
“Because of that…”
“I wasn’t raised the same way other noble children were.”
Tristan’s expression remained as calm as ever.
Seeing no change in his face, Eliana gave a small, helpless smile.
“I suppose that’s only natural…”
“For someone with only half a bloodline.”
She had never spoken those words aloud before.
But deep inside, she had always believed the hatred, abuse, and indifference directed at her stemmed from the blood that flowed through her veins.
Although her father had never once admitted it…
In the deepest corner of her heart, Eliana had always believed she was nothing more than an illegitimate child.
