Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The snowflake-shaped aura that had filled the entire training ground began to multiply rapidly, soon transforming into a fierce snowstorm that engulfed the surroundings.

Whoooosh!

Lin Winterbell, wearing a desperate expression, swung her mana-infused sword in all directions. But as time passed, her movements grew slower.

No matter how wildly she swung, it was impossible to drive back all the snowstorm that filled the training ground.

“Damn it. If only I could use aura, a technique like this wouldn’t even...!”

She looked visibly frustrated, but her body wouldn’t respond the way she wanted. Before she realized it, her lower half had frozen solid.

I walked toward her and said,

“Sis. I think it's settled now, isn't it?”

“Screw you...! It’s not over yet!”

Clang!

When I brought my sword up in a diagonal slash, the sword she had been holding flew out of her hands and clattered across the training ground floor. Lin Winterbell’s face twisted into a grotesque scowl.

She looked ready to charge at me and wring my neck on the spot. That’s how furious she was. She bit down hard on her lip, and crimson blood trickled down from it.

“...Are you not going to admit defeat?”

“You bastard. I said it’s not over yet, didn’t I?”

Yeah.

It wasn’t over yet.

The condition for her defeat was for her knees to touch the ground. She wasn’t completely frozen—only temporarily immobilized. If I were to kick her legs out from under her right now, her knees would naturally hit the floor.

“Your stubbornness is truly the best in the world.”

Just as I was about to sweep her legs—

“You son of a biiiiiitch!”

With a loud boom, a powerful burst of aura erupted from her entire body. I was right in front of her, so the force blew me back nearly ten paces, leaving skid marks across the training ground floor.

“Huff... huff...”

Lin Winterbell glared at me, her face flushed and panting heavily. As the ominous aura radiated outward, the floor of the training ground cracked like a spider web.

‘Wow. To cause that much damage just by releasing aura... You really are a monster too, huh.’

If that foul-tempered woman had refused to accept defeat and charged at me here, I was fully prepared to run away immediately.

But contrary to my fears, she drew back the dangerous aura she had been emitting. Then, with a resigned expression, she raised both hands.

“Agh, shit. I... lost. I lost.”

“You’re admitting defeat?”

“Yeah. I admit it. No matter how you look at it, I used aura, so I broke the rules. That makes it my loss. But seriously, what the hell happened to you? You’re completely different from the last time we sparred. And that technique you just used—wasn’t that ‘Snow Blossom’? Shit. What the hell’s going on? How the hell do you even know how to use that?”

I chuckled and replied,

“Sis. Do you really think I wouldn’t learn at least one of our family’s signature techniques?”

“Who taught you? When did you learn it?”

“That’s a secret, of course.”

Lin Winterbell muttered to herself, still wearing a face that said none of this made any sense to her.

“Haa... How the hell did that pathetic bastard end up like this? Can a person really change this much?”

I knew it too.

My siblings, the patriarch, and even the servants of the household—every one of them felt a strange sense of unease about my sudden change.

And that was only natural.

Because the real Ran Winterbell was dead. To be precise, he had died, and the one who had been dormant inside—Van Descartes—had awakened.

‘It was probably that day.’

The last thing that surfaced among the faint remaining memories was...

“Hey! Hey! What are you doing, just standing there all spaced out?”

“Ah... I was just thinking. Since I finally won a spar against you, I need to seriously consider what kind of wish to ask for. You wouldn’t be going back on your word now, would you? Not the great and mighty Mad Wolf of Winterbell?”

“...You’re seriously such an ass.”

The Mad Wolf of Winterbell.

Lin Winterbell.

She herself believed she was the most radiant wolf, but most people simply called her the Mad Wolf. I think the reason she was called that doesn’t even need explaining.

‘Is there even another nickname that fits someone so perfectly?’

It crossed my mind that she might as well change her name from Lin Winterbell to just Mad Wolf.

“Sis?”

“What, you little bastard. Stop calling me like that and just talk. What do you want me to do?”

“Hmm... Become my sub—no, my subordinate.”

“...You’ve really lost your damn mind. What? Subordinate? You’ve really gone off the deep end, huh? Huh? You seriously want to die, don’t you?”

“Didn’t you say you’d grant whatever I wished for? You must’ve agreed to the bet because you were confident you’d win... Are you really going to take back your word now?”

“......”

“Just for half a year. No more, no less. Be my subordinate for exactly half a year. I’m calling it a ‘subordinate,’ but really, I’m just asking you to do a few things for me. That’s not too difficult, right?”

Lin Winterbell’s expression changed by the second. Given her personality, becoming my subordinate was probably worse than death itself.

But she had already said the words. And as someone who carried the pride of a Winterbell more than anyone, she wouldn’t be able to back down now.

“...Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shiiiiiiiiit!!!!”

I didn’t say anything and simply watched her with a faint smile.

It seemed better to stay quiet than to provoke her into an even bigger tantrum.

“...Exactly half a year. Even if I become your subordinate, if you ever ask me to do something that goes against my beliefs, I’ll cut your damn head off right then and there.”

“Yes. Of course.”

“When the time is up, you will promise to spar with me again.”

“I promise.”

At last, I had gained Lin Winterbell.

She might be the one who crippled my legs, but her strength was the real deal.

Now that I had fought her myself, I could tell with absolute certainty—when we went to rescue Ron Winterbell in the Bakal Mountains, the power our siblings had shown back then wasn’t even half of what they were truly capable of.

Because the siblings had always been distant, it was clear they had never revealed their full strength unnecessarily.

‘Even when they fought the Witch, they didn’t use the family’s secret techniques. So they must have at least one hidden trump card.’

If I could make use of that level of power whenever I needed, it would be a tremendous help going forward.

So, for now...

“Well then, I’d like to ask for a favor right away.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, right now.”

Lin Winterbell looked at me with a face that seemed to say she had already resigned herself.

“...Speak.”

“Kneel right now and say three times, ‘I’m sorry for challenging you to a spar when I didn’t know my place. For the next six months, I am Ran Winterbell’s subordinate.’”

Silence fell. Everyone around us shut their mouths. It was instinct. They knew—if they said anything wrong now, they wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.

The looks in their eyes as they glanced between me and Lin Winterbell showed just how serious the situation was. Most of them were probably thinking, ‘Has he lost his mind?’

But right now, my mind was clearer and sharper than it had been in weeks.

“……”

Lin Winterbell’s expression shifted constantly. Her lips trembled slightly. Everyone expected her to explode with rage, given her fiery nature—but defying all expectations, she slowly kneeled.

And she did it with a smile.

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

As she burst into laughter, I joined in and laughed heartily as well. The two of us laughed while looking at each other.

Those idiots who say “just looking at someone makes me laugh” were probably talking about something like this.

After laughing for a long while, Lin Winterbell abruptly closed her mouth. She stared at me with bloodshot eyes. Her entire body, not just her lips, was trembling like a leaf.

I knew better than anyone that her trembling wasn’t from fear.

“Yeah. That’s right. If a Winterbell wolf makes a promise, she has to keep it. Of course.”

“That’s right, Sis.”

“Thanks for the wonderful memory, little brother. I won’t forget today for the rest of my life.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it either, Sis.”

How could I?

A scene this satisfying?

Ah, just to be clear—this wasn’t revenge. I didn’t ask her to do this because I was still holding a grudge over the past.

It’s really not about that.

“I’m sorry for challenging you to a spar when I didn’t know my place. For the next six months, I am Ran Winterbell’s subordinate.”

After repeating that line two more times, Lin Winterbell stood up and walked out of the training ground without so much as glancing back.

---

“May I come in?”

“Enter.”

Butler Turk stepped into the Patriarch’s office, gave a polite bow, and reported on the sparring match between Ran and Lin that had taken place at the training ground.

Normally, the Patriarch Arkan wouldn’t concern himself with such trivial matters, given his personality. But this time, he had personally ordered it, leaving Turk no choice but to deliver the report.

—Report everything related to Ran Winterbell to me, without leaving out a single detail.

After hearing the entire report, Arkan looked at Turk with an emotionless expression. Turk, tense and anxious, tried to read the Patriarch’s face to figure out his thoughts, but unfortunately, it was beyond his ability.

‘...Could he be angry about Lord Ran’s actions?’

“You’re saying Lin... that girl actually knelt and admitted defeat?”

“Yes, that’s correct...”

A moment later.

The corner of Arkan’s lips began to twitch, and soon, a thunderous laugh echoed in all directions.

“Wahahahahaha!”

Because the laugh unconsciously carried a surge of mana, the entire castle lightly trembled—beyond just the Patriarch’s office.

‘The Patriarch... is laughing this happily?’

---

Cecil silently gazed at Ran Winterbell, who was sound asleep. Not a single snore escaped him, and his gentle breathing made him look just like a newborn baby.

This had become part of her routine to end the day.

At some point, Ran Winterbell had begun to live a disciplined life, always going to bed at the same time.

And today, he had even won a spar against Lin Winterbell—he must have been utterly exhausted.

‘Tomorrow, I’ll add some herbs that help with fatigue recovery.’

Though Ran Winterbell had undergone a dramatic transformation in such a short time, Cecil harbored no doubts about him. She simply continued to quietly support him from where she stood.

She stepped out of the room and walked down the hallway. Since everyone was asleep, even the smallest sound should have echoed clearly—but strangely, her footsteps made no noise at all.

“……”

Sensing a presence, she moved quickly and headed toward a room at the end of the corridor. Arriving in an instant, Cecil gripped the dagger in her arms with both hands and scanned the room.

In the next moment, her figure vanished—then reappeared on the balcony. The sharp dagger in her hand was aimed straight at the intruder’s nape.

“Besti... no, Bestia.”

“Cecil...”

“What are you doing here?”

The woman on the balcony was none other than Bestia. Despite the dagger pressed against her neck, she continued to gaze up at the night sky.

“I couldn’t sleep... so I was just looking at the stars...”

Cecil, eyes as cold as ice, muttered in a low voice.

“The night sky, huh.”

The dagger, already laced with killing intent, pressed deeper against the back of her neck.

“Bestia... What’s your reason for wearing that cursed woman’s skin and approaching the young master? Don’t even think about lying to me. I already know you’re not the real Bestia.”