Interlude: The Sudden Transformation of the Nameless
—
The air was cold, and the sky was dim, as if it was about to snow.
Snow and I had been taking a stroll outside for a while.
I brought Snow into the house, and my husband immediately draped a blanket over me. The child soon fell asleep on the sofa.
The warmth of the fireplace filled the room, and my husband’s caring smile was equally heartwarming. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but fear that this happiness might be too perfect, almost to the point of tears.
May it last forever… No, this life is already sufficient.
Hopefully, in the future, we can sit by the fireplace with our family, sipping hot cocoa and quietly sharing every trivial thing that happened today.
Gradually building a future for Snow, even though there’s a long time until he grows into an adult—he just celebrated his fourth birthday.
And then… I want to suggest to my husband that we should have a large dog at home. Watching the soft, fluffy snow outside the window makes me think of this.
And then…
—
And then—
Bloody blossoms scattered everywhere, flourishing into a magnificent sea of flowers under the harsh winter, with bright red, intense red, and dark red hues.
And then—
The bandits who raided the village took away enough food and treasures to last the entire winter, along with over a dozen wailing children.
In the end—
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Cii atf mtlivgfc yfmjwf cjwfifrr, klatbea lvfcalas, ibrlcu atflg ojwlilfr jcv oeaegfr. Mgbw atfc bc, atfs kfgf atf qlaloei “Rjwfifrr Ycfr” megrfv ab cfnfg frmjqf atflg ojaf.
—
Ktf Vlc bo Jjijwlas, Dglvuf Ulfgr, jcv atf Pgbc-Xgjs Blcuvbw (Ujga P)
—
‘Ktlr kbgiv lr nfgs ufcaif.’ Ktf cjwfifrr bcf gfqfjafv lc tlr wlcv.
For the sake of his world, he had to survive; even if it meant shedding every drop of blood, even if only the last breath remained, he was determined to grit his teeth and persevere.
He used a gray scarf to wipe his face, which was covered in bruises and blood from the beating. Surprisingly, the scarf remained unstained.
‘The world is gentle to him…’ Lying on the bustling street, the dying nameless one continued to chant these words in his heart.
—
“Hey, young master, you look pretty well-dressed, huh? It’s so cold out here, and considering how lightly we’re dressed, you wouldn’t mind sparing us some money to buy warm coats, would you?”
Three young ruffians of similar age surrounded Ellyad, pushing him into a dirty little alley. One of them even had a petite and delicate cloaked girl in his grip.
“Why won’t you people just find a decent job and earn an honest living for yourselves?” The cute orange-cloaked girl concealed her appearance, and only a sighing, tender voice could be heard.
Ellyad remained silent, offering no response. The girl also seemed unbothered, displaying an attitude that completely ignored the crisis they were facing. This attitude angered the ruffians.
‘If Thrett was here…’ If they worked together, they could easily handle such a minor situation in no time. However, Ellyad had just asked Thrett to wait for him by the fountain in the square while he went alone to buy something from the store. Unfortunately, he ran into the ruffians on the way, marking the third encounter today.
The first two encounters allowed Ellyad to easily fend off the thugs. However, during the third encounter, as they had a girl in their clutches, Ellyad decided to take his time and save her. If he engaged directly, there was a risk of harming the girl, so he hoped for assistance at this crucial moment.
Taking down three people at once and safely rescuing the girl might be challenging, but for Ellyad, it was still manageable. Thus, he remained motionless, waiting to see how the situation unfolded.
‘Perhaps a surprise attack could make the escape smoother?’ Ellyad treated the thugs’ taunts as if they were the wind blowing by. He continued to observe the girl’s movements attentively. She seemed uninterested in struggling or escaping, allowing the ruffians to carry her as if nothing was happening.
“Hey, can’t you speak?” The burliest thug, interpreting Ellyad’s silence as a deliberate attempt to mock them, forcefully shoved Ellyad, causing him to collide with the wall. The thug then grabbed Ellyad’s scarf, intending to escalate the situation.
Ellyad furrowed his brows disapprovingly. “Don’t touch.” In an instant, he raised his foot and kicked the thug in front of him in the groin. The man immediately let out a high-pitched cry and released his grip on the scarf.
Almost simultaneously—
“Wouldn’t it be faster to just chop him down, Ellyad?” The thug on the left was suddenly punched and sent flying, crashing into the wall before falling motionless to the ground.
“Miss!” An unfamiliar black-haired man attacked the remaining thug holding the girl with the hilt of his knife, rendering him unconscious.
Two distinct male voices overlapped, effortlessly resolving the attempted robbery.
“Crow, you’re really slow.”
The rescued girl, hands on her hips, scolded the black-haired man. His slender gray eyes expressed regret as he knelt, aligning his eyes with hers, offering an apology.
“Sorry, I thought something had happened to you.”
“Well, hurry up and get up.” The girl in the pink-orange cape spoke with concern. The man, still kneeling, smiled with a lowered head, apologizing once again.
Brandishing a Damascus sword and dressed in Eastern-style attire, the man with black hair, gray eyes, and drooping eyelids was addressed as ‘Crow’. The Damascus sword, known for never rusting and having a sharp edge capable of cutting through armor, was the most commonly worn weapon by the king’s guards. Even if nobles possessed one, they typically wouldn’t use it and instead kept it as a valuable collectible.
Seeing that the girl wasn’t bothered by the terrifying experience of being held hostage, Ellyad turned confidently to leave the alley with Thrett.
“Excuse me, sir with the light brown hair, could you wait a moment?” The girl suddenly called out to Ellyad just as he was about to leave.
“Is there something you need?” Ellyad turned back to ask.
“Thank you for earlier. You were considering my situation, right? That’s why you didn’t engage in a full-fledged fight with them, right? Otherwise, with your skills, you could have easily handled those small fry a long time ago.”
The girl was indeed correct, and Ellyad could only nod in acknowledgment. However, he was curious about how the girl could be so sure, given that he wasn’t holding any weapons and his gloomy, unremarkable appearance didn’t suggest any martial prowess.
Noticing his confusion, the girl explained, “Sorry, I’ve been following you for quite a while. I saw you easily take down those street thugs barehanded in the previous two incidents. It was impressive.”
Rather than being flattered, Ellyad was more surprised that the girl had been trailing him.
“But I understand. With your hair and eye color, you’d often be targeted in this country. It must be tough,” the girl said as she removed her cape, revealing twin tails of the same light brown color as Walt’s hair that fell to her waist. Her light brown almond-shaped eyes met his, sharing the same color.
“We haven’t properly introduced ourselves,” the girl said, lifting her skirt and elegantly and formally bowing. “This is my attendant and bodyguard, Crow. My name is Snow, Snowlight Whittington. Would you like to come to my house for a meal?”
—
Continuing southwest from Mirror Lake, you would traverse the vital main river of the Sipistole Continent, the Oxisinitu River. Countless tributaries converge into this main stream, forming a wide and deep watercourse that almost divides the entire land into two halves. Several centuries ago, this river nearly split the Sipistole Continent into two separate regions, significantly impacting cultural exchanges.
Fortunately, the Iron Gray Kingdom, established by the Hero who defeated the eighth Demon Lord, spans above the Oxisinitu River. Serving as a literal bridge nation, it connects both banks and boasts citizens with predominantly black hair and grey eyes, reminiscent of the color of bridge piers.
A distinctive feature of the Iron Gray Kingdom is its landscape. Aside from the overarching appearance of a gray bridge when viewed from a distance, the country is adorned with skywalks suspended in mid-air—referred to as “sky bridges.” The architectural design of the kingdom comprises towering structures, and the tiered sky bridges connect various buildings, creating a complex and intricate network resembling a spider’s web. The dense arrangement of these structures, coupled with the numerous sky bridges, often obscures the view of the sky, leading some to aptly describe the scenery as a “bridge cage.”
However, the political situation in this country is shrouded in gloom. The royal descendants with Heroic blood indulge in extravagance and fail to govern the nation properly. About twenty years ago, a determined group of ministers overthrew the monarchy and assassinated the king. The power-holding vassals, however, were unable to ascend to the throne, as, according to the legends from the country’s founding by the Hero thousands of years ago, the entire nation was protected by a Sacred Beast. In the Iron Gray Kingdom, to become king, one must carry the “Royal Key” and unlock the sealed chamber at the zenith of the royal palace, gaining recognition from the Sacred Beast within. The newly appointed leaders were initially mere vassals, lacking any Heroic lineage, let alone possessing a Royal Key.
In a quest to locate the key, the minister meticulously searched every member of the royal family, yielding no results. Frustrated, he impulsively killed all those with royal blood. This act had an immediate and counterproductive consequence. The term “Heroic bloodline” symbolized a nation living under the blessing of the goddess Elena. The absence of Heroic blood caused widespread anxiety and unrest, fostering distrust and blame among the people, leading to an increase in thievery and banditry compared to the time before the rebellion.
On the other hand, recent rumors suggest that someone has discovered the existence of a first-in-line heir within the royal bloodline. This individual was reportedly sent abroad before the rebellion, escaping harm. It is highly likely that this royal descendant carries the elusive Royal Key. There is speculation that the last surviving member is a princess, but considering the customary first-in-line heir being a prince, uncertainty surrounds the gender of the heir. However, the distinctive features of blonde hair and brown eyes make the search for this individual a daily mission for the soldiers of the new government, scouring every street and alley.
Amidst the unsettled public sentiment and the usurper’s struggles with the succession ceremony, the entire country was plunged into poverty and the clutches of heinous crimes. The once prosperous trade began to decline, and the nation witnessed a rise in brutal activities aimed at venting frustration. This situation was indeed more dismal than the period of royal rule.
The girl named Snowlight lowered her skirt, but the question still lingered around the invitation to share a meal.
So, I think it’s confirmed that Ellyad was the child called Snow in the interludes and stuff? The child had a gray scarf, so it must be!
I don’t know why this girl also has a similar name though 🤔