The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 25: Journey to the Northlands

Alice was all set to go.

She embarked on her journey to the northlands by herself.

She packed two outfits suitable for travel, concealed her protective armor underneath her clothes, secured Lina’s dagger to her belt, and carried the great sword she got from DeWitt on her back.

It was her first time venturing to the northlands; the City of Poztar, her birthplace, lay to the south of the royal capital, and most of her previous mercenary assignments had taken place in the southern region.

She had never ventured into the northern area of the continent before.

While the south was already experiencing warmer weather, the north remained cold. She was relieved that she had prepared thick clothing in advance.

Her destination was Bowen City, the capital of Earl Rachel’s fiefdom in the north. The ancestral mansion of the earl’s family was situated there.

Before setting off, she conducted some research.

Earl Rachel and his first wife lived in that mansion when they were first married. Following the death of the countess, the earl journeyed south to the royal capital by himself and resided there for a few years before returning to his own county.

Every other year, he would spend two months in the royal capital to attend to certain matters before heading back to Bowen.

After his wife’s passing, he remarried in the royal capital.

However, it appeared to be a marriage of convenience, lacking any genuine affection between the couple. Subsequently, he returned to the north on his own, while his wife chose to remain in the royal capital, rendering their marriage more of a formality.

It was rumored that he had a few mistresses in the north, though he rarely stayed overnight at their residences. For the most part, he continued to reside alone in the mansion in Bowen.

Extrapolating from the current circumstances, it can be assumed that the crown left by the previous countess is still located within the mansion of the Rachels.

In this situation, it appeared necessary for her to devise a plan to covertly enter the earl’s mansion in Bowen before proceeding further.

Contrastingly, Alice excelled at direct combat on the battlefield and preferred a straightforward approach due to her personality.

Despite this, she had some experience with infiltration alongside her master, making her not entirely inexperienced. As advised by Rom, mercenaries must possess a diverse skill set in order to survive.

Sneaking into a noble’s residence, particularly that of Earl Rachel, who wields significant power within his domain, is no easy task. The method of infiltrating his mansion will need to be decided upon arrival in Bowen.

Alice was by herself on the road with only the horse for company. When Rom suggested that she give the horse a name, she refused adamantly.

She had two reasons for this—one being that the horse might have had other names before and changing it might confuse the animal; secondly, as the horse was an outsider, she believed that one day it might run away and if she named it, she would feel even sadder.

Currently, not naming it made her feel relaxed and at ease.

The journey from the royal capital to Bowen in Rachel’s County was long, even with a fast horse traveling day and night it would take around seven days.

She needed to stop to eat and sleep. She wasn’t in a rush and didn’t want to travel non-stop. So she chose to take a more leisurely route to the northwest, making sure people noticed her distinctive hair and the great sword on her back.

Then, the sword was carefully wrapped in layers and sent back to Rom’s farmhouse through a messenger.

This trip required secrecy, so it was important for her to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention to herself.

Her hair was quite noticeable, and it was fortunate that while red-haired girls were uncommon, they were not completely non-existent.

If she were to purposely dye her hair again for this reason, it seemed like she was taking herself too seriously, ultimately, she was just a mercenary.

To ordinary citizens, she appeared as an outsider who did not respect the king’s law, and to the nobles, she was simply a life that could be purchased with money.

After traveling northwest for a few days before returning to the main road to the north from a side road, she arrived in Bowen on horseback on the seventeenth day.

The weather in Bowen appeared to be on the verge of snowing, with the sky cloudy and the wind biting. Despite her knowledge that the northern lands are cold, and her careful preparation of thick clothing, she still felt some chill upon arrival.

After contemplating for a while, she eventually spent eight silver coins to purchase a fur collar coat locally.

Despite spending twenty gold coins on the jewel embedded in the coat, she felt it was worth it as she had never held so much money in her hands before.

Though her hands trembled as she paid, the warmth and protection the coat provided made her realize the value of her purchase.

Back in the royal capital, she knew she wouldn’t find such a quality fur coat at twice the price, so she felt content with her decision.

Having grown accustomed to a difficult life from a young age, she had learned to save and not spend the little money she earned working as a tavern waitress.

Under Rom’s apprenticeship for three years, she never went hungry and was never lacking in weapons, although she was never given any spending money.

This was the first time she had such a large sum to spend, and initially, she was hesitant and anxious, but after making her first purchase, she felt a sense of liberation.

With over a hundred gold coins now in her possession, an ordinary family could live comfortably for eight years if careful, or a year and a half in an inn.

If spent on fur coats, she could purchase more than a hundred similar ones, bringing joy to her heart despite the impossibility of buying that many.

The duchess’ advance was not meant for reckless spending, but to help her acquire the crown.

While Rom didn’t provide her with an allowance, he did teach her how to manage her finances responsibly, “You must remember to receive the advance payment, but you can only use a quarter of it initially. Another quarter can be utilized after completing the return trip. The remaining half should only be accessed in times of crisis. It is necessary to return half of the advance if the mission is not completed as per the regulations. In case you exhaust the advance funds, you will need to request a loan from the guild. Many experienced mercenaries have faced this situation, falling into debt and never recovering.”

Even if the mission fails, there is no requirement to return the advance payment.

However, Alice put a stop to her foolish thoughts and decided to save money by staying in a modest guest room at the inn without spending on unnecessary items.

The cost of a second-class room was eighty-five copper coins per night, and breakfast was an additional fifteen copper coins. During the winter season, the price of hay was high, and the stables along with the feed for the horses cost thirty-five copper coins per day.

These expensive rates explained why Rom opted not to purchase a horse and instead relied on walking or occasionally renting a stagecoach.

To cover her expenses, she initially wagered a gold coin, which she estimated would sustain her for about a week.

The early darkness of the northern winter and the harsh weather outside discouraged her from venturing out to gather information on her first night in Bowen. Instead, she remained in her room at the inn, offering prayers to the God of Doom.

Since her brush with death, she made it a nightly routine to add a particular task to her schedule.

Initially, it felt unfamiliar and reminded her of her mother, causing a tinge of bitterness in her heart. Over time, she grew accustomed to it and integrated it into her daily life.

If she skipped praying one day, she sensed a void within herself.

The god who had saved her life had not communicated since that incident.

It was unclear if He chose to remain silent or if He was unable to exert any influence in the dream world after using up his divine power.

During her near-death experience, she missed the opportunity to ask for the god’s name when she heard his voice.

Now, as she prayed, she struggled to direct her prayers to an unseen entity, only able to replay in her mind the message: “Never forget me again.”

Most prayers offered by ordinary people to the gods were for protection, and these prayers were typically routine.

However, Alice’s prayer stood out as unique.

She simply wished for the God of Doom to grant more divine power and freedom, with no other desires in her heart.

If she did pray for herself, her only hope was for the god to listen to her and perhaps visit her once more, allowing her a chance to express gratitude.

Yet despite praying for months, there was no sign of any response.

It’s possible that her faith alone wasn’t strong enough to rouse the god from slumber.

She was not concerned and took after her mother, who prayed her whole life without any apparent answers from Fragna. Nevertheless, the God of Doom had once saved her life, so she felt justified in dedicating time each day to pray for him for the rest of her life.

Perhaps because she was alone in undertaking this risky task, she prayed a little longer on this particular day before finally falling into a deep sleep out of exhaustion.

The following day, she began asking around for the whereabouts of Earl Rachel’s mansion, and after a few days of searching, she had a vague idea of its location in her mind.

Despite being a grand mansion, there were gaps in its security. With regular deliveries of meat and vegetables to the kitchen, it wasn’t difficult to blend in.

She spent a few days wandering around the mansion, successfully blending in once by mingling in the kitchen before leaving again.

However, making it from the kitchen to the front room proved to be a challenge.

There were numerous servants blocking her path, making it difficult to navigate through without being detected. Coming from a mercenary background, she wasn’t particularly concerned about human life; if she were planning an assassination, she might have attempted it.

But her objective was not to kill, but to search for something, a task that couldn’t be rushed.

Actually, the most effective approach is to consider blending in as a servant.

However, this is easier said than done: Earl Rachel is a prominent figure in the area, the mansion’s servants are accustomed to a certain type, and even if you try to find help, they will prefer someone from the village who knows the background of a tenant farmer’s daughter.

They will not casually hire individuals of unknown origin, and this issue is not pressing—Alice cannot afford to spend a year and a half here.

Given this situation, it is still necessary to contemplate gaining entry through the main entrance.

She made inquiries and finally learned that although the earl is not very keen on socializing, he, along with other local gentry and nobles, typically hosts a monthly gathering.

These events are usually hosted by a lady of the house, but in the absence of his wife, the role falls to a few socialite women to entertain the guests.

The earl only makes a brief appearance at the beginning of the party, fulfilling his obligations as the host.

Upon hearing this news, Alice couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart.

There is hope.