Dear Contract Husband, I Didn't Know You Were Like This? - Chapter 38
“It seems all that power is optimized for your swordsmanship, Maya.”
“Hmm…”
Was that so? Maya nodded simply, thinking that maybe it was better than having her power halved for the sake of healing.
“Then please make a promise with me.”
“What promise?”
“No matter how I fight, just let me be. It’s my choice, and my battlefield.”
Different from her usual cheerful demeanor, her red eyes were deep red, like vividly crimson blood.
It wasn’t for no reason she was of the Pendragon lineage.
“Understood.”
Tristan readily agreed. It seemed he had no choice if he wanted to accompany her. At the same time, Kendrick’s face flashed through his mind.
‘It should be fine since I told Alec to scout with the mage.’
While they were in the mountains, it was necessary to have people periodically check on the territory. Even if not for the giant monster, the recent increase in minor monster appearances was troubling.
“But what’s with that luggage you’ve brought?”
Maya pointed to Tristan’s bag, which was significantly bulkier than her own.
“Oh, I’ve packed clothes and food inside. I figured you wouldn’t have brought them.”
Maya felt a pang of guilt.
“Food?”
“Jerky that can be stored for a long time, dried fruits, and a simple magical device to purify water.”
“…You seem to know exactly what’s needed.”
“Yes, scouting in the north is a common occurrence.”
Maya felt embarrassed by Tristan’s words. She was impressed by how quickly Tristan had figured her out.
It seemed there was still much she didn’t know.
The somewhat kind yet mysterious Grand Duke.
“Shall we go then!”
Feeling slightly awkward, Maya was the first to wrap her cloak tightly around her and stride forward.
Watching the soft line of the fluttering cloak beside him, Tristan asked.
“Where did you get that cloak? It’s my first time seeing it.”
“Oh, it was a birthday gift from Kendrick.”
“Now that I look at it again, the finishing hems donβt look great.”
“Really?”
At Tristan’s comment, Maya hastily examined the cloak. It was a precious cloak prepared by Kendrick, and it would be a problem if there were issues with it before she even started using it.
“Is it just my eyes?”
But to her, the cloak seemed perfect.
‘I just won’t mention it to Kendrick.’
Having come to a satisfactory conclusion, Maya hurried on her way. Tristan followed behind.
***
As they climbed over the castle walls and up into the mountains, the air became even more frigid.
It was a bone-chilling winter.
The snow that continued to fall was knee-deep. Moving at all was a struggle.
Crossing the rugged mountain range was challenging, but there was no time to dawdle.
They moved until their bodies shook uncontrollably from the cold and turned pale.
Gradually, they reached the abode of monsters where no human foot had tread.
Maya handled all the monsters without her facial expression changing.
The only time Maya’s face changed was when she was eating.
After fighting monsters for two days, they reached Lake Urth.
The reason the imperial family and the northern knights had taken so long to find the snake monster, despite deploying everyone, was because it was very far away.
Fighting a giant monster and awakening in the process was one thing, but there were places they needed to stop by for convenience first.
‘It was Lake Urth.’
Known as the largest lake in the mountains, deep within Lake Urth, a wyvern lay dormant.
Or rather, it was frozen solid beneath the lake.
Maya knew about the wyvern because the imperial knights had tried to capture it but ultimately had to kill it.
The hunt for the wyvern ended successfully, but those who survived boasted of their deeds rather than mourn.
βStill, we caught the damn thing!β
She had heard endlessly about when and where the wyvern appeared, so much so that she couldn’t forget it.
‘As if catching a wyvern was such a big deal.’
However, now their boastfulness seemed fortunate.
‘Because I’ve come to catch a wyvern now!’
Lake Urth was covered in ice all year round, safely sealing the wyvern, but this year was different.
A sudden change in weather caused temperatures around the mountain range to fluctuate wildly. The ice on the lake melted, and naturally, the wyvern woke up.
“We’re here.”
Finally arriving at the lake, Maya took a breath.
She needed to capture this wyvern to ride it and find the place where the snake monster was.
That was the best way to accelerate her awakening.