The North was a harsh land in the truest sense of the word.
Unlike the fertile plains of the South, this place was a desolate land of snowfields and colossal mountain ranges that barred entry, rejecting the challenge of all living things.
However, its harshness was not merely due to the cold.
An ancient curse lingered in the North, and the most fearsome creatures under the sky lurked there.
According to legend, the blood of defeated gods had soaked this land in the primordial war, twisting the very earth when it froze.
The northern mountain ranges were not mere rocks but the unyielding spines of undying titans.
As such, the North was not a place one could step into out of mere curiosity.
All who settled there under the Emperor’s command were hardened warriors.
Any explorers who arrived chasing the foolish dream of striking it rich were all driven away.
Thus—
“I will take responsibility.”
One day, an outsider suddenly appeared.
And not just any outsider—he claimed to be the teacher of Atar Lionheart, whose reputation had long since turned from ominous rumor to outright infamy.
There was no way such a man would be welcomed.
His true intentions were obvious.
‘For now,’ he was simply coaxing Atar, the firstborn of the White Lion family, to gain power.
‘A mere whelp who hasn’t even dried behind the ears…’
Theodor Lionheart, head of the White Lion family, felt nothing but displeasure at this man, who had appeared out of nowhere, seemingly to disrupt the North’s succession.
And yet—
“…Lead him in.”
Instead of expelling the man, he ordered that he be taken to the underground chambers of the fortress where Atar was imprisoned.
The first reason was that, no matter his intentions, this man was not some common adventurer but a so-called Sage.
The second was that, regardless of his motives, he had the backing of Princess Lilian Ardenia and the ancient dragon Orphion.
‘There are only a few months left until the trials.’
The final and most important reason was that all descendants of the White Lion had to be given a fair opportunity in determining the successor of the North.
It was a tradition upheld for hundreds of years.
As the head of the family in this generation, Theodor had an obligation to honor its laws.
—Nod.
“I appreciate your kindness.”
The man turned and disappeared.
As always, his enigmatic smile made it impossible to discern his thoughts, causing Theodor to maintain his characteristic stern expression.
Though, in truth, he was certain of one thing—
No matter how much of a Sage the man was, there was no way he could change Atar’s violent nature overnight.
‘What could a man like you possibly accomplish?’
No matter how hard Asher Astoria tried, it would all be in vain.
After all, wasn’t Atar imprisoned in the underground chambers precisely because he lacked any sense of restraint?
If he kept rushing into battle despite his lack of skill and ended up getting killed by a wandering monster, the North would only mock him.
No matter how much they tried to reason with him, he refused to listen, leaving no choice but to confine him.
Atar was a child with no trace of leadership, someone who did whatever he pleased.
That was why Theodor had never held much affection for him—he was simply too reckless.
***
“So that’s what you were thinking, more or less.”
“…How do you know that?”
—Smack!
“Ouch!”
“You should speak respectfully to your elders.”
Asher, wearing a light smile, spoke as he cast another healing spell.
Atar’s voice turned sullen.
“If you were going to heal me, why hit me in the first place…?”
Ssss.
“…Why hit me in the first place, sir…?”
“That’s right.”
Only after the bruises and wounds on his body completely disappeared did Atar cautiously speak again.
‘How could an outsider like Asher possibly know his father’s thoughts?
Atar was imprisoned in the underground chambers simply because he was a concubine’s son.
‘You don’t know anything, yet you keep running your mouth…’
In the Six Great Houses, the pillars of the empire, such stories were all too common.
A head’s legal wife failed to bear an heir and so took in a concubine, who eventually gave birth to one.
However, if the legal wife later conceived and produced a legitimate heir, the concubine’s child became completely useless.
It was an all-too-familiar tale.
Yet, even after hearing Atar’s story, Asher’s reaction remained largely unchanged.
Rather, he even questioned it.
“Your father isn’t the kind of man who would dote on you just because you were the legal wife’s son.”
And then, as if it were nothing, he casually gossiped about Theodor Lionheart.
“That old man has no sense of familial affection. I know him very well.”
“…And how exactly do you know that?”
Ssss.
“Master.”
“…How do you know that, Master?”
“There are ways to know everything.”
‘What kind of lunatic is this…?’
It was only natural that Atar couldn’t comprehend Asher.
After all, the concept of an ‘original story’ that existed in Asher’s mind was something Atar could never understand, not even in death.
Asher knew that this world had already reached its conclusion in the form of a novel—something Atar had no way of knowing.
That was why Atar couldn’t understand Asher’s certainty, which stemmed from his own memories.
‘Well, I wouldn’t believe it either.’
To be honest, Asher himself didn’t expect Atar to understand.
I had no intention of explaining the original story in my head.
Anyway, the important thing right now was preparing Atar’s abilities and strength so he could take on the Northern Trials.
“This isn’t a place to sleep. You’ll wake up with your mouth crooked. Let’s go to your actual room. It’s better to continue this conversation there.”
For now, they moved from the underground fortress to Atar’s room.
Since it had been unused for a long time, dust floated in the air, but it was still better than the sunless underground.
‘I’ll be staying here from now on too, so I’d better ask someone to clean it up.’
That was Asher’s last thought upon seeing Atar’s room.
From then on, the conversation was entirely about the Northern Trials—every single detail.
“First, let me ask. You don’t lack the will to take on the trials, do you?”
“Ha, I have more than enough. But those clueless idiots keep saying that if I challenge it, I’ll just end up dead—”
“Then prove them wrong. Show them that you can overcome the trials.”
Still untroubled and without any particular concerns, Asher spoke as he briefly explained what was to come.
However, ever since Atar had first met him, one question had been lingering in his mind.
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
“Are you really… the Sage? No, I mean, are you truly the Sage?”
Atar finally voiced his question about Asher’s title.
It was understandable.
The commotion that had taken place in the Imperial Palace not long ago had spread even to this frigid northern land.
“The maids were saying there was some lunatic who stormed the palace with an ancient dragon.”
“Lunatic, huh…? I didn’t really do anything strange, though.”
“So, you really did storm in?”
“Well, what else could I do? I waited for days, but they wouldn’t let me meet her. And then they said they’d only let me in if I brought the Jewel of the Sea Dragon.”
What followed was Asher’s explanation—though it hardly sounded like one.
He insisted that he had only wanted to meet Princess Lilian Ardenia to offer her his help.
That he had simply wanted to guide her onto a better path before she strayed too far in the wrong direction.
“She’s dealing with assassination attempts almost every other day. How is a kid supposed to grow up properly like that?”
“…Assassination?”
“Oh, right, I wasn’t supposed to talk about that. Uh… forget it, Atar. If you breathe a word of this outside, both you and I will lose our heads.”
And so, Asher’s so-called explanation ended on a rather suspicious note.
***
Unlike Atar, who wanted to start fighting monsters to train his body immediately—
“Rest. For now.”
“…?”
—Asher’s first order was unexpectedly relaxed.
Atar could no longer tell whether the man before him was truly his master or just some loafer.
“The trials aren’t far off, and you want me to rest?”
“If you go out in your current state, you’ll destroy yourself.”
In the end, Atar had no choice but to stay in his room and recover his stamina.
Of course, he did try to ignore Asher’s orders and escape a few times.
But each time, he found himself tightly bound by the mana threads Asher summoned, forced back into bed.
It took two more weeks before he was finally able to breathe in the cold air outside.
The problem was that, even on the day he was finally allowed to leave his room, he was taken somewhere entirely different from what he had expected.
“A village to the east is under attack. We’re going to help, Atar.”
“But they have soldiers there too, don’t they? Wouldn’t it be better to head straight for the orc horde—”
“People’s lives come first. Always.”
And so, despite his displeased expression, Atar stepped into the teleportation circle.
The village under monster attack soon came into view.
Before them lay burning houses, screams, and shouts echoing from every direction.
All around, battles raged between monsters and humans, while villagers fled in terror.
“Hmm…?”
—Gwaaaah!
At the same time, Asher’s thoughtful murmur was interrupted by the howls of werewolves lunging toward him.
Then, without warning, strange thorny vines sprouted from the air, binding the movements of all the monsters.
Snowflakes filled the surroundings.
Sshhh.
The vines constricted, and the snowflakes clung to their bodies, freezing them solid.
Asher gave a simple instruction—or perhaps it was a request.
“You see that girl in the alley? Bring her here. Now.”
His face remained indifferent as he flicked his mana-infused fingers.
In that instant, the werewolves shattered into pieces.
A path opened through the fallen monsters, and Atar had no choice but to rush forward toward the spot Asher had indicated.
There, he found a young girl swallowing her sobs.
Beside her lay the corpse of a villager, already lifeless.
“Hey. It’s dangerous here. We need to go.”
Atar spoke brusquely, urging the girl to move.
But when she refused to budge, his face twisted in frustration.
—Boom!
“Clicking his tongue, Atar saw the wall next to them collapse as a monster burst through.
Instinctively, he yanked the girl back with one hand.
Thud.
At the same time, he kicked off the ground, grabbing a fallen sword with his free hand and driving it through the monster.
It wasn’t even a challenge for him.
But the girl, still gasping for breath, couldn’t stop trembling.
“You! What’s your name?”
“…Shar… Sharne….”
Unable to watch any longer, Atar asked for her name.
It was his way of trying to snap this bothersome girl back to her senses.
“If you don’t wanna die, listen to me, Sharne! There’s no one else here to protect you!”