A fortune-telling princess Chapter 129

“By the way, it’s really cold here.”

“It’s always been a cold region.”

Camilla had joined the expedition and used the teleportation magic circle to quickly reach a location near the Schultz Mountains.

But the problem was the weather—it was far colder than expected. Spring had arrived in the capital, but here, it was still very much winter.

Though there weren’t fierce blizzards, warmth was entirely absent.

“This is good weather compared to the past,” someone remarked.

The area, already known for its cold, had turned into a veritable ice kingdom under the wrath of the Spirit King of Winter. The creation of ice walls around the mountains had only reinforced its isolation.

“Welcome.”

As the group approached the nearest estate to the Schultz Mountains, someone quickly stepped forward to greet them.

A man in his mid-twenties bowed respectfully to Jaynor. He was a knight of the Escra family and one of those who had been stationed here ahead of the main group.

“What’s the situation?”

“We sent out two scouting parties, but none have returned.”

The best and fastest soldiers had been sent into the Schultz Mountains, but none had come back.

“There have been no monsters descending from the mountains yet, but the sounds are ominous. The cries of the beasts are getting closer to the foothills.”

“They must’ve realized the ice walls are gone.”

If anything, the relative quiet thus far was the truly strange part.

“The Imperial Army has promised reinforcements, but…”

“It doesn’t look like we can wait.”

“Agreed.”

After a brief exchange with the knight, Jaynor turned to Camilla.

“It doesn’t seem like we’ll have time to rest. We’ll head for the mountains tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Camilla tightened her grip on the bag containing her teleportation stones.

Looking at the Schultz Mountains looming in the distance, she couldn’t deny her nervousness.

She had read about monsters in books but had never seen one in person. The anticipation felt entirely different from standing on stage during a live broadcast.

‘I’ve seen drawings of them, but…’

The reality would undoubtedly be far more overwhelming. Despite her resolve, her heart pounded in her chest, loud enough to echo in her ears.

[Gyuu!]

Sensing her unease, King peeked out from the bag, letting out an energetic yip.

“Alright, I’m counting on you,” she said with a small smile.

[Gyuu-gyuu!]

***

The next morning, Camilla joined the soldiers under Jaynor’s command as they ventured into the foothills of the Schultz Mountains.

“It’s quiet.”

“Too quiet.”

The forest was unnervingly still, devoid of even the chirping of insects.

Reports had mentioned the cries of monsters near the mountain’s base, but the silence felt like the calm before a storm. It was as if a predator was lying in wait, holding its breath for the right moment.

A chill ran down Camilla’s spine. Even with dozens of soldiers and knights around her, she felt no sense of security.

She could feel herself being overpowered by the forest’s oppressive atmosphere.

[Don’t worry.]

Zeno, the ghostly swordsman, moved closer to her side, offering reassurance.

His presence brought her some comfort, and she exhaled a quiet breath.

Ahead of her, Jaynor strolled calmly, scanning the surroundings without a trace of tension.

While observing him, Camilla remained vigilant, trying to discern if there was anything off about him. Yet, so far, nothing seemed out of place.

Jaynor was polite, respected by the knights, and seemed genuinely capable.

When she subtly asked others about him, the responses were almost cult-like in their admiration.

“He’s saved my life twice.”
“He’s the only person I’d trust to guard my back.”
“With him, I’d go anywhere without hesitation!”

‘It’s like talking to a bunch of brainwashed followers.’ Camilla thought, unsure if she should probe further.

“We’ll need to go deeper,” Jaynor said, meeting her gaze as he approached.

“Don’t worry too much. Nothing will happen.”

“Don’t worry about me. If it gets dangerous, I’ll run without looking back.”

Camilla shook the bag of teleportation stones at him. Jaynor chuckled, lightly patting her shoulder before returning to his position.

‘Was he joking after all?’

Camilla couldn’t take her eyes off him, wondering if his previous comments had carried any hidden meaning.

“Ugh, this is frustrating.”

Should she just ask him outright what he knew? Subtlety wasn’t her strong suit, and the indecision was eating at her.

“Miss Camilla, we’re moving again,” Dorman called out.

“…Alright.”

Shaking off her thoughts, Camilla followed the group.

Thud! Boom! Thud!

Everyone froze as a loud rumble and vibration shook the ground.

Boom!

It felt like an earthquake. The noise grew louder, drawing closer.

“Everyone, take your positions!”

Jaynor’s voice cut through the tension, and the soldiers drew their weapons, scanning the area.

Boom! Boom!

Moments later, the source of the disturbance appeared.

Camilla’s jaw dropped.

‘It’s huge!’

“It’s an Ice Bear.”

The creature looked like a white bear, but its sheer size was staggering. It dwarfed any ordinary bear by a massive margin, easily as large as three adult bears stacked together.

“Looks like it bulked up while trapped behind the ice walls,” Jaynor mused, still smiling.

Laughter bubbled from him even in this situation.

‘This guy is insane. How can he laugh right now?!’

Boom! Boom!

The sound of heavy footsteps wasn’t coming from just one direction. More Ice Bears, equally massive, began to emerge. Their numbers quickly grew to over a dozen.

Camilla’s breath hitched as the soldiers around her visibly wavered, overwhelmed by the daunting sight.

“Zeno, can you handle this?” she asked, her voice tight.

[I can manage three at once.]

‘Should I just run?’

‘Why did I even come here?’**

Camilla’s grip tightened on her teleportation stone. But could she really flee, leaving everyone behind?

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath, steeling herself. She would fight until the last possible moment and escape only if all hope was lost.

Thud.

A sudden movement caught her attention. Something small had jumped from her bag.

“King!”

[Gyuu?]

King turned to look at her, tilting his head innocently.

“No! Come back!”

But King paid no attention to her frantic shouts, bounding toward the Ice Bears. As Camilla instinctively moved to follow, Jaynor grabbed her arm.

“It’s too dangerous.”

“King is—!”

Before she could finish, an earth-shaking roar reverberated through the air.

“ROOOAR!”

The sound was deafening, forcing everyone to stagger. Some soldiers even dropped to their knees, trembling.

Jaynor’s hand shook slightly as he steadied himself.

Only Camilla stood unaffected, save for a faint ringing in her ears. Her heart raced, knowing the source of the roar.

It was King.

‘The roar of the white tiger deafens its enemies.’

The ancient text she had once read now made perfect sense.

Camilla’s wide eyes turned to the Ice Bears. The towering beasts that had been charging toward them were now crouched low, heads bowed toward the tiny King.

“What the…?”

Even witnessing it, she could hardly believe her eyes.

“ROOOAR!”

King roared again, and the Ice Bears quickly turned tail, fleeing back into the forest. But King wasn’t done.

“ROOOAR!”

The echoes of his roar seemed to shake the mountains themselves, as though issuing a warning to all the monsters within.

“Wow…”

Camilla could only stare, awestruck.

A knight, recovering from his shock, asked hesitantly, “Sir Jaynor, should we pursue them?”

Before Jaynor could respond, King let out a low growl directed at the knight. It was clear: Don’t follow them.

As the soldiers lowered their weapons and stepped back, King finally calmed, the icy energy radiating from him dissipating.

[Gyuu-gyuu!]

Moments later, he trotted back to Camilla, gazing up at her with his usual endearing look.

Camilla laughed, scooping him into her arms.

“You did great.”

[Gyuu!]

Purring contentedly, King nuzzled into her.

“Ha…”

A quiet laugh broke the moment.

“Ha… hahahaha! This is unbelievable.”

It was Jaynor. He laughed until he was out of breath, then approached Camilla, grinning.

“What now?” she muttered, giving him a wary look.

“This life… it might not be boring after all.”