Two days.
They were busy with so many things over just two days.
Not only Rosa and Enoch, but everyone in Glaciers was struggling.
They spent the day digging up mana stones, helping Enoch draw magicians on them, and going down to the outskirts to guide Rosa and Enoch.
Of course, while making their way through the heavy snow.
But, thanks to this hardship, they were able to finish their preparations faster than expected...…. and safely bring in reinforcements.
"I have calculated the distances according to the number of mages who are here and placed them in each location.”
They were the magicians of the Magic Tower led by Lysander.
The mine was in the cold northern part of the country, so there were not enough mana stones even after digging all day.
After much consideration, Enoch invited them to make up for this.
It would be impossible for him to walk around the northern outskirts and cast boundary magic in one day on his own.
"If the Wizards on guard call to say there are visitors, several mages, including myself, will verify first. And if there's anyone strange…….”
“You’ll call me.”
“Yes.”
This time, Lysander also seemed to have sensed that it was a serious matter, and his expression was extremely tense.
Then he disappeared quietly.
As Rosa watched the scene quietly, Elef came to her side.
He pointedly asked.
"Are you ready, Duke?”
She said, while deliberately staring into his gray eyes,
"Yes, it will start as soon as night falls.”
That night, the white night would begin.
It signaled the beginning of their plan, as well as the arrival of her father, Caligo.
"If I succeed in capturing your father as planned...….”
"Yes, I will accompany you as you take him away.”
It was the best they could do.
It was obvious that Caligo would escape somehow, whether he was going to tant Rosa or use the Holy Land.
So, she had to stay.
Of course, it didn't mean that they would share the same fate; it literally meant that their positions would remain unchanged.
First of all, they had to plug all the holes that Caligo could escape through.
To do that...….
"I hope things will be recorded well. I look forward to your kind cooperation, Duke Snow."
***
They had just reached the entrance to the north.
Not only was it so sunny that it stung his eyes, but it was snowing so much that it blocked his view.
It was a contrasting phenomenon.
Caligo deliberately chose the north for this dramatic effect.
But even though it was his choice, he couldn't help but feel annoyed because it was physically difficult.
Eventually, Caligo pulled his hood forward and clicked his tongue.
“Tsk.”
It was just a tongue-clicking sound.
But as soon as they heard that sound, the escorts around Caligo flinched dramatically.
They seemed to be wary of Caligo.
"I….”
Then, among those who were surrounding him, the one at the very back slipped forward.
He rubbed his hands together and stuck to Caligo's side.
He might have been trying to score some points.
However, Caligo looked at him coldly, almost with contempt.
"Is something uncomfortable…….”
"I'm sure I told you to stay in position no matter what.”
Caligo flicked his head away as soon as he said that.
As if he didn't need to mince any more words.
Eventually, the man returned to his original position with an awkward laugh.
But then, as if an avalanche were about to occur, a great roar began to ring out.
All at once they were put on alert.
They quickly turned in the direction of the sound.
Not far away, on the high mountains, huge bluffs of snow were falling with all their might.
Caligo was not surprised, though.
It wasn’t as though he didn’t know the weather would be bad, and he expected that, if he was unlucky, he would encounter an avalanche.
Of course, he never imagined that he would encounter one from the beginning, the odds of such a thing occurring seemed slim.
Well, it didn't matter.
He’d brought along some precious human shields who would sacrifice themselves on his behalf.
"Protect your master!"
At Hyorin’s words, people began to move in unison.
Some people use barrier magic tools, while others spread their arms wide as if to block him from the snow.
Only Caligo was relaxed.
But that relaxed demeanor didn't last long.
"Oh….”
"Wh-, what, why is the avalanche...….”
Huge chunks of snow came to a halt right under their feet.
As if someone was controlling it.
That wasn’t the only thing.
Soon after, a column of white light began to shoot up from below.
When Caligo saw that, he realized,
"Someone is coming.”
***
The whole world was white.
After finishing all the preparations, she quietly looked up at the white night as the snow fell.
As her throat started to become sore, she slowly lowered her head, and Enoch happened to be next to her just in time.
He seemed to be conversing with other mages with his hand pressing on one ear, and his left eye constantly glowing a mysterious shade.
It was like he was giving orders to the mages under him like a command tower.
"Duke.”
"He’s finally arrived.”
That must be the reason Enoch had come to her despite being so busy.
Calligo's visit.
"He’s here."
Enoch naturally extended his hand toward her.
She took his hand.
She looked at Enoch, whose black hair contrasted with the pure white sky, and whispered to him,
"…Enoch, are you sure you’re, okay?"
The rumors that Lysander tried to put it to rest would resurface.
The man who was considered to be nothing more than a butler not only knows how to use magic but also commands other mages.
No matter how tight-lipped the northerners were, there were always one or two loose-lipped beings everywhere.
"Thank you…….”
As soon as Enoch heard her, he squinted his pale green eyes and smiled.
Then he pulled her hand.
"It was a place I took over because of you anyway, and I hid it for you as well."
Enoch continued smiling.
At the same time, the ground they were standing on was filled with light that spread over a very wide area.
"So, there’s no need to thank me.”
In a way, it sounded cold.
But his tone didn’t indicate coldness.
Rather, it seemed Like a shy rebuttal to her words, as if he were embarrassed by her thanks. Enoch’s reddened ears were telling her as much.
Her vision was distorted after that scene by a burst of light so bright it hurt her eyes.
***
What followed was obvious.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her father, Calligo, and his group, and soon the mages sprang out from all over the place.
They were facing each other in a standoff.
Strictly speaking, it was more like Calligo’s side was on guard against Rosa’s, to be honest.
Rosa’s side, including the mages, overwhelmed them numerically.
"Father, come this way. It's over.”
She broke her silence and talked to him first.
Nevertheless, Calligo remained silent and held on to his hood, protected by his people.
Even in this situation, he seemed to be thinking about how to run away without revealing his identity.
Rosa thought it was truly funny.
It seems she wasn’t the only one who had such thoughts, as Enoch, who had been standing at the back, stepped forward.
Then, he pointed exactly where Calligo was and shouted his spell with a hand gesture.
"Wentus."
Wind shot out from Enoch’s fingertips at bullet speed.
No one could escape.
Naturally, that included the people surrounding Caligo, and his hood rolled back.
Finally, his face was revealed.
"Huh-huh.”
"The dead Duke Estella...….”
“……He was really alive.”
The mages, including several people who had immigrated to the north, gasped in surprise.
Only Rosa, Enoch, Elef, and those from the north, faced him without a change of expression.
Rather, Rosa approached Caligo's party, who seemed to falter and then flee.
"Father, come with me."
Caligo sneered.
At the same time, she felt his gaze growing fiercer as he looked at her.
Facing that figure, she put on a more venomous expression than Caligo had ever managed.
She then slowly opened her mouth.
"I won’t fall for the same trick twice. You seem to still see me as a child.”
Bang!
As soon as she’d finished speaking, she heard the ground near her explode.
Then, Caligo looked there, and donned a slight frown.
She also glanced in the direction where the sound had come from and resumed speaking to him.
"Did I not tell you. Never twice.”
This time, she did not forget Hyorin.
Naturally, it was highly likely that Hyorin, and those with him, were assassins.
That is why she had informed him in advance.
‘If you meet Caligo's party, you must watch your back no matter what.’
"Thank you, Duke Snow.”
She gave a slight nod to Elef, the leader of the northerners who were holding back Hyorin.
Then, he nodded as well.
They barely made eye contact.
Even though they had caught Hyorin, the next most powerful person after Calligo, there were still many left.
She looked ahead again.
Again, as she expected, others around Caligo began to show their weapons.
Caligo raised one hand.
Everyone must have noticed it was a signal to fight.
Seeing it, she also quickly raised her right hand.
It had a different meaning from Calligo’s signal.
"Enoch.”
She looked at Enoch with a sideways glance.
He must have noticed at once what she meant by calling him and raising her hand.
Indeed, Enoch's eyes were brutally distorted at her call.
Of course he knew.
With the help of Enoch and the sorcerers, she could very easily subdue them.
But she had a plan, as well.
To be exact, it was more of a reminder regarding Calligo.
"…I'll go alone.”
She shook her head firmly.