Chapter 12 – The Boundless Snow (4)

The moment I heard the name of the white-haired man who looked like a pretty boy, it felt as if lightning struck my mind.

‘Heimdall Arcadius!’

Actually, I did not know much. Who he was, how old he was, what his personality was like, what position he held in the Immortal Embers, what his occupation was… nothing.

But one thing, at least one fact that I absolutely must know, I knew clearly.

That he was the blood relative of the leader of the Immortal Embers, Odin Arcadius.

According to the gathered information, defining what kind of person Heimdall Arcadius was required nothing more than that single fact.

“I did not recognize the son of the great Arcadius who protects the Immortal Embers. Please forgive my ignorance.”

I quickly prostrated myself.

Whether one was a member of a collapsed embers or a wanderer roaming the snowfields, considering the vast influence that the Immortal Embers exerted in this region, one could not be ignorant of the name Arcadius.

Although it was not a class-based society, they were a family deserving of such extreme respect.

“That is enough. There is no need to treat me like that.”

“But…”

“This is also an order. Useless formalities only tire both of us out.”

However, Heimdall shook his head and spoke as if my respectful and formal treatment was unwelcome.

‘What is it? Did I make a mistake?’

I wondered if it was because I was unfamiliar with the etiquette of this world, but that did not seem to be the case either. In the first place, even if it was called the etiquette of this world, it was not much different from the modern 21st century.

If so, there were only two reasons why Heimdall showed such a lukewarm response.

‘He is either dissatisfied with the family name Arcadius, or because his own skills are overshadowed by that great reputation. Perhaps it’s both.’

Whatever the reason, Heimdall as I perceived him was an unpredictable figure, so I decided to follow his command.

“Understood, Lord Heimdall.”

I said, raising my body from where I had bowed.

When I addressed him by his name instead of his last name, his expression began to subtly hint at a smile.

‘Heimdall, for some reason, dislikes being treated based on the Arcadius surname.’

I did not miss even that small change.

Although it seemed trivial, such brief shifts were the only moments when a person’s true feelings were revealed, and this would be of great help in any aspect when dealing with the opponent.

‘I must not forget. Politics begins with understanding people.’

This was the reason I was able to reign as the flawless dictator of . The ability to grasp human psychology to the bone and manipulate it at will.

This started from meticulous and careful observation.

And whether Heimdall liked it or not, because he was a man of the Arcadius family, I needed to understand him clearly. Not only was he an influential figure even at the tail end of the succession line, but we would also surely meet again in the future.

Whether as enemies or allies.

In whatever form, without fail…

While I was briefly lost in thought like that, he asked.

“Why, do you want to ride it once? Well, it makes sense that it’s fascinating to you. You’ve probably never seen anything like this before.”

Heimdall spoke proudly, thumping the hood of the off-roader as if he had made it himself.

He seemed to have mistakenly assumed that my mind was captivated by the off-roader, a product of mechanical magic engineering.

‘What is he talking about? Does he think this is my first time seeing an off-roader?’

Sorry to say, but I was someone who had accomplished everything in . This kind of four-seater off-roader was child’s play, and I had even manufactured a large transport vehicle with a seating capacity of over three digits.

“Yes. Since it is the first time I have seen such a complex and sophisticated thing… The magic engineering power of the Immortal Embers is indeed amazing.”

I played the role of an inquisitive aspiring magic engineer, my eyes shining brightly.

“Really? You think so too? I told you this off-roader is truly something else!”

Eventually, Heimdall got out of the car and chattered excitedly, but I found his reaction slightly ridiculous.

‘No… why is he talking about whether this pathetic car is amazing or not? Is he testing me?’

And for good reason, because while I had not noticed when hearing it from a distance, hearing it up close, the engine sound of this off-roader was…

‘A single-cylinder, the absolute lowest level in mechanical magic engineering.’

The sputtering sound could be clearly distinguished even with my two ears; to put it simply, it was an entirely basic level engine. In this world too, the way of classifying engines into single-cylinder, two-cylinder, four-cylinder, eight-cylinder, and so on was exactly the same as in the 21st century.

“As someone seeing an off-roader for the first time, it is merely fascinating. What is the hourly consumption rate of magic stones for something like this?”

I asked because I found it strange. However, I did not forget to act like an inexperienced magic engineer, beating around the bush as much as possible.

Having taken the bait completely, Heimdall excitedly began to explain.

“Ah, for vehicles, it’s not by the hour, but by the ratio of distance traveled per fuel, in other words, fuel efficiency. This goes 3 km per 1 L of mana liquid.”

A fuel efficiency of 3 km per liter, and he said it so triumphantly…

‘Was the level of the Immortal Embers not as high as I expected?’

This was truly an absurd fuel efficiency. Considering that even the giant Eternal Embers consumed only 10 kg of magic stones per hour, it was certainly so.

However, it was unreasonable to judge the level of the Immortal Embers by this alone. In any case, the Immortal Embers would be operating dozens or hundreds of these off-roaders… no, these magic-stone-devouring hippos.

That could also be interpreted to mean that the labor force and productivity of the first embers were so massive that they did not even have to worry about the ridiculous fuel consumption of the off-roaders.

“Three kilometers per liter. It seems an average embers wouldn’t even be able to operate it.”

“Exactly. Unless productivity supports it, it’s just a white elephant. But the fuel efficiency will also be improved soon. Since it has only been a year since our embers properly dove into the development of mechanical magic engineering, we can look forward to tomorrow.”

‘A year…! No matter how much underlying technology they had, they produced an off-roader in just a single year?’

Hearing his words, it was indeed so. The speed of development was terrifying.

Indeed, it was just that the primary developmental direction of the Immortal Embers had not been mechanical magic engineering. It was not that they could not do it; they simply chose not to.

Now that such an embers had entered mechanical magic engineering in earnest, Heimdall’s sky-high confidence was understandable.

“Lord Heimdall, you must leave now. If we delay any longer here, we might not be able to return by the day of the qualification exam.”

At that moment, a stern warning fell upon Heimdall, who was in high spirits as if boasting about his own child.

“I get it, Carlyle. Stop nagging…”

Glancing at the man named Carlyle, Heimdall tapped my shoulder with a look of regret and spoke.

“There are many stories I want to tell you, but there is no time. Let’s finish the rest of our talk back at our embers. Make sure to keep your promise.”

“Yes. Then I will see you at the Immortal Embers, Lord Heimdall.”

We exchange what might be our final farewell in the freezing snowfield, and he slid away into the distance along with the off-roader.

“…”

I glanced at the place where he had vanished and took a step forward.

Just as Heimdall said, the only mission I had to accomplish.

It was simply to arrive alive.

* * *

An off-roader heading south, toward the nameless embers where Demian Vale served as the head of the magic engineering department.

Inside the vehicle carrying Heimdall and Carlyle, an intimate conversation was taking place.

The topic of the conversation was, of course, the mysterious man named Charles, who had introduced himself as a member of a collapsed embers.

“Lord Heimdall. Why did you give such a precious compass to a fellow like that?”

Carlyle spoke with a frown.

To dismiss it as a mere compass, the compass Heimdall had lent the guy was no ordinary object. Unlike those that only pointed to a single destination, that compass was synchronized with hundreds of embers, making it a treasure among treasures owned only by the Arcadius bloodline and Herman Melville even within the Immortal Embers.

However, Heimdall’s expression looked as if he did not care in the least what happened to that compass.

“A compass? What of it? No matter how great an object is, its value cannot compare to a single person.”

“Pardon? How can you say that…”

“Carlyle, the moment the value of an object shines is when it is in the hands of someone who truly needs it. It is not about what the object is, but who possesses it that is important.”

Heimdall’s eyes shone brightly. He was imparting a lesson as a lord to his vassal.

Yet Carlyle’s doubts persisted.

“Even so, it is hard to understand. It is true the item is necessary for him, but I do not believe he will be able to draw out its full value. I do not understand what you saw in that person to show such favor.”

At that, Heimdall clicked his tongue.

“Carlyle, because you have only looked at me since you were young, you still have absolutely no eye for people. I am not believing in him; I am believing in myself.”

“…”

“Did you not see the venom in his two eyes? Eyes that thoroughly tried to hide the truth. Those are eyes I have not even seen in my brothers. They were something that could only be seen in my father, Lord Odin’s eyes. He was no ordinary guy.”

“…!”

Carlyle was astonished.

He mentioned Odin, the leader of the Immortal Embers. Through that alone, one could see how highly Heimdall evaluated the fellow named Charles.

“Using a single compass to buy the goodwill of such a talent is not a losing trade. If he arrives alive, both his goodwill and the compass can be recovered, and even if he doesn’t, the compass can still be retrieved.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Where did he say his destination was? If he died on the way, I would just retrieve it myself on my way back.”

At that moment, Carlyle bowed his head to his lord.

“I apologize, my lord. The depth of my thought was shallow, and I committed an insolence toward you.”

“It is fine. What use is it for a physical guy to have too many thoughts? Just keep a tight lip in front of my brothers. I cannot protect you from them.”

“My lord…”

Carlyle was filled with admiration at Heimdall’s sincere advice. Even though he seemed to live dissolutely usually, this was the exact reason he served him as his lord.

While Carlyle burned with loyalty toward Heimdall like that.

Swish—

Heimdall, looking back toward the north where the guy named Charles had disappeared, let out a snicker.

‘What? A member of a collapsed embers? All bullshit. The name Charles was probably made up on the spot, too.’

Everything, from the guy’s name to his place of origin, was a lie.

Heimdall had built an organization covertly to gather information without catching his brothers’ eyes. Among the news they reported, there was no such thing as a recently collapsed embers.

The fact that there was no place where an Eternal Embers was installed in this vicinity other than the target embers was also something he had known for a long time.

‘I don’t know who he is, but he’s an interesting guy. He’s surely a member of the embers we are heading to… I should find out who he is.’

Heimdall began to grin as if something pleasant had happened after a long time.

“A fellow who speaks lies shamelessly in front of me, in addition to Demian Vale who receives Melville’s favor… This is getting more and more exciting.”

“Pardon? Lies, what do you mean by…”

“There is such a thing, Carlyle. It is tiring to explain, so as soon as you arrive, have someone look for those who have recently fled or disappeared from the embers.”

For a while, the off-roader was noisy.

It was not because of the noise from the single-cylinder engine, but because of the laughter burst out by Heimdall Arcadius.

* * *

After meeting Heimdall Arcadius, I walked and walked with the sole determination to reach the first embers.

‘I can make it. If I can’t, there is only death!’

It was not because of a promise to him. This was the only path of survival given to me, having fallen into this turbulent era, and I had to overcome this goddamned world and return home!

“Huk, hueok… hueoek…”

The air was so cold and freezing. Every time I inhaled, my lungs felt as if they were freezing. This terrible cold turned into a sharp dagger, delivering the pain of slashing my airway and lungs.

‘I feel like I’m going to die… But I still must move forward.’

But if it was an unavoidable pain anyway, even if I could not enjoy it, shouldn’t I at least get used to it?

“Huuk, huuk…!”

All the more, I inhaled and exhaled even deeper, gradually beginning to adapt to that vivid pain.

Just like that, 7 days, 8 days, 9 days, and 10 days passed since setting foot on the boundless snow… Finally, the 13th day, marking the punctuation point of this grand crossing. That was, at 00:00 on the 15th, when the Novice Magic Engineer Qualification Exam was to be held, amidst the deep night where the white darkness descended.

“I have… arrived…!”

I finally achieved the miracle of reaching the Immortal Embers.