Chapter Twenty Nine
"YOUR GRACE! I'M BACK!"
Kaelen's voice tore through the heavy silence of the greenhouse like a blunt axe through dry wood. I took a sharp breath in, forcing my racing heart to settle back into its cage.
Hah... Why am I feeling so nervous? It is just a name. Kion Yeun Halcrest. It is a coincidence. A lot of people share names in this world, right? It doesn't mean the First Duke was some ancient version of me.
Stop it. You're overthinking this, Yeun. There's no time for it.
I stepped out of the greenhouse followed by Vizen and Hans into the biting cold of the North which hit me like a physical punch. Kaelen stood there, chest puffed out, covered in a light dusting of frost.
"You still have energy to yell?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Your voice was ringing in that big of a greenhouse."
"Humph! What is shoveling a little snow for a fifth-ring swordsman? Your Grace should praise me for all my hard work!"
"You promised to do anything I ask today," I reminded him, my face turning into a mask of indifference as I shrugged. "What do you need praising for? You're simply paying up because you lost the bet."
"Whaaaaa! How can you sound so demonic, Master!?" Kaelen wailed, his shoulders dropping so fast I thought he'd dislocate them.
"Fine, fine. Good job, Kaelen. I'll cook dinner for you tonight."
"You're the best, Master!" Kaelen's mood flipped instantly. His imaginary tail was practically wagging.
Swish. Swish.
I looked at the massive mountain of snow he had shoveled a little infront of the greenhouse.
"You didn't ask why I made you shovel all this into a mountain?" I asked, gesturing to the massive pile of packed powdered snow Kaelen had gathered in front of the greenhouse.
"Master will probably just ask for payment again," Kaelen grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away. "I don't have money."
"No, no. I'll let you ask this one for free."
"Then tell me why?"
I rubbed my chin, a devious glint in my eye. "Where is the money?"
"I knew it! Kaelen doesn't like it when you play with Kaelen's heart, Master!" he wailed, clutching his chest like a lead actor in a romance tragedy.
"Hahaha! Okay, okay. Relax. Remember the deal we made back in the cave?"
Kaelen blinked, his dramatic pose freezing. "The ice house? The one you said you could build without using a drop of aura?"
"Yes."
"Yes, I do. Wait! You're actually going to make it? Right now?"
Clank. Clank.
"Your Grace!" Mrs. Hans called out, trotting toward us with a heavy clatter. "Elena and I could only find two containers that had the shape and build fitting to act as a mold for bricks. Here you go!"
She handed over two rectangular wooden crates. They were just perfect. Exactly what I needed... sturdy, uniform, and just the right size for making snow blocks.
"Fantastic. Now, Hans, Vizen, Lady Elena, and Lady Selia," I said, turning to the small crowd gathering. "You all go sit inside the greenhouse and rest. It's warm in there. This is a bet between Kaelen and me. We'll call you for inspection once we are finished."
"Understood, Your Grace," Vizen bowed, leading the ladies toward the glass doors.
"Why are they all having a picnic in the greenhouse? I wanna have a picnic too! I did all the work of shoveling!" Kaelen whined, his shoulders slumping as he watched them disappear into the lush, warm interior. He looked like a puppy left out in the rain.
Well technically, the snow.
"Didn't you say shoveling is no task for fifth circle, swordsman?"
"Of cour-"
Splat!
A perfectly aimed snowball disintegrated against the side of Kaelen's head.
"Your Grace!" Kaelen yelped, wiping slush from his ear.
"Stop moping and defend yourself!" I laughed, already packing a second round.
Whish! Thud! Crunch!
For five minutes, the future of the North looked less like a political struggle and more like a chaotic playground. Kaelen's fifth-ring reflexes were terrifying, but I had the advantage of mana circuit and a very "demonic" throwing arm. By the time we stopped, we were both breathless, our faces flushed red from the cold and the laughter.
"Now that you're calm," I said, wiping my hands on my coat. "Let's continue with the bet. Yeah?"
"Yes, Your Grace!" Kaelen shouted, his eyes finally sparkling with curiosity.
What a good kid. Our relationship improved, huh.
[Ping!]
[Are you actually feeling something for someone that is not money, Host?]
It's not like that. Anyway, I'm sorry so don't be mad at me anymore. It feels lonely without you around.
[Ping!]
[Apology accepted. Please work harder and try to be nicer to people around. Not just money.]
Yeah. I got it. But, I'm not going to be nice to useless people.
[Ping!]
[Host will do whatever he wants anyway.]
That's actually true.
[Ping!]
[We know.]
Splat!
"Kaelen!"
This brat. Taking advantage of my defenselessness. Just wait once I'm done with igloo. I'll make you into a snowman!
"Hahaha! What do we do now, Master?" He was grinning ear to ear, dancing on the balls of his feet.
I huffed, wiping the snow off my face as I kicked the mold toward him. "Start packing the snow into these. Use your strength to compress it until it's as hard as wood. We're creating bricks of snow for the icehouse."
"There's two of them, Master! Join me."
"Brat, you want your Master to do manual labor?" I asked, looking at my hands that were already starting to feel the bite of the wind. But, the mana circuit was doing just fine keeping them warm without gloves.
"Yes. Let's work together, Master. I've always dreamed of this day."
"Hah. Fine. Even you will remember your Master's benevolence one day."
"Of course, I will," Kaelen said, his voice dropping an octave as he grabbed a handful of snow. "Why just one day? I will forever remember all the moments with Master. But... only the moments after you woke up."
My hands froze. The crunching sound of the snow died away. I looked at Kaelen, but he was focused on packing the first brick into the crate. There was no mockery or suspicion in his voice for the first time.
'Moments after you woke up.'
Haha. That feels nicer that whatever it was intended to feel like.
"Kaelen."
"Yes, Master."
I cleared my throat, feeling that weird weight in my chest again. "You... you can ask any questions regarding the ice house for free. Just this once. No payment required."
"Thank you, Master!"