They continued through the crag in a similar manner.
After the scare given by Pollen, none of the rest were in the mood to play around. Thus, despite being children, they passed through the crag systematically, following every protocol as princess Ise ordered.
Usually, most problems in the crag arise from reckless individuals. As long as there are no trouble makers, with a little bit of patience, crag has never been hard to cross.
On the other side, the fliers who were commissioned to bring the most urgent supplies, food and medicine were crossing through the fog. That's all the supplies they could manage to bring this time. There were no tents. No sleeping bags. Not even a minimum required cover over the children's head could be created.
The children reached the camping location. Unlike the second peak, the third peak is a series of little plateaus connected with precarious looking ice bridges.
The ice bridges are smoothed out and wrinkled on the sides, allowing only one person to walk.
If you hurry one second more you will slip. If you delay one second more, the wind will push you down.
There, there was only a measly person making the medicine for the children.
From Ise's knowledge, there should be at least four pots of medicine soup, a.k.a ginger soup, with tents for as many children as have participated in the competition.
Ise walked to the medicine maker over at the third plateau.
" Why is there only one pot of medicine here ? There should be at least four. " She asked.
" Hah ! Where did you come from ? One pot is one too many for you beggars ! Our lord of Greenmont is taking pity on you little bastards and provided you with some help. You dare jump around as if you are the king? This little bitch ! Get out of here before I throw you out. " the medicine maker lashed at her.
Elantra was about to come forward to snap at him, but Ise snapped her.
" Oh ! These came from lord Yid Greenmont ? He is indeed very generous. " Ise said, looking at the measly medicine pot, and supplies that will provide a mere quarter of the children here.
" Of Course ! He does it all for the glory of the kingdom. In fact, these supplies are not for everyone. The first hundred of the participants to reach here will get an opportunity to sign on as retainers of the Greenmont family. These supplies are reserved for the future retainers of the Greenmont family. " he said, his eyes full of sly invitation.
" For you two girls, I can make the best of the supplies available. How about it ? Are you interested ? " the man whispered.
" Tell me more about it . " Ise said, looking very interested.
As they were walking there, few of the other children came up the mountain.
" Lord Greenmont is very fond of pretty girls. Looking at you girls, as long as lord Greenmont likes you, you will be the mistress of the castle. You could have anything you want in the world ! you will never lack for another meal or clothes. You will have the finest of the arctic wolf skin cloaks, best scarves made of black sable, dresses made of yeti skin. Actually, I will make it an even sweeter deal. As long as you sign now, you will have tents made of Mammoth skin right now. How about it ? Want to sign up ? " The man asked eagerly.
Yeti and Mammoth's are both protected animals within the kingdom of Frigia.
The ecosystem of Frigia is very, very delicately balanced.
The Mammoth's must tread a path as they eat through the trees, which cracks ice, opening up a little bit of cracks in which the grass grows. The caribou deer eat this grass, and survive. The arctic wolves rely on deer to get sustenance. The wood worms infest the broken tree trunks resulting from Mammoth's feeding. The fallen tree trunks provide cover for small animals to thrive. Many birds of Frigia depend on wood worms to feed themselves.
' Kill a mammoth, take a hundred lives ' is a proverb, indicating how many creatures depend indirectly on mammoths for their living.
Yet, he killed a mammoth.
Yeti are even more sacrosanct.
They are called the kind angels of the snow storms.
Whenever people get stuck in snow storms, they pray that a Yeti finds them. The Yeti will bring the humans back to a location where they could survive, saving lives. Every village has at least one such story.
To kill such kind and unobtrusive creatures ! Just to make a dress ?
Ise burned with anger. Like all things about her, even her anger is a cold fire.
" We are very much interested. So, how do we sign up for this retainer job ? " Ise asked the man.
" The girl has asked the right person. Here, you just have to sign this document, you can have the Mammoth tents right away. " The man said.
Ise took the documents from his hand.
The man smiled slyly.
These documents are cursed documents. As long as you touch them, you feel a strong urge to sign them. Only prerequisite is that you need to be a wee bit willing to sign beforehand.
Unfortunately for him, he met Ise.
First, she wanted to collect this document as a proof. Secondly, mental compulsions never had much effect on her. Still, she felt the sting of the curse.
Just from that alone, one could understand how strong this curse had been.
" First, let's have some medicine. I will think about this contract later. " Ise said, moving back.
" Imprison him " She whispered as she stepped back.
Elantra needed no more words.
Four walls sprouted on all sides of the man, extending extremely sharp icicles towards him. If he moves one hair's breadth to either side, the icicles will pierce him.
It's a veritable iron maiden cast in ice.
Right on the cue, the fliers sent by Max landed on the plateau.
" We are late. " the leader groused to his subordinates.
They miss the bonus, but they could get the base reward.
After that, the lead flier's eyes fell on the supplies stacked at the location, and the measly one pot of medicine was set up.
His expression changed.
They were expecting that at least half the amount of supplies will be present on the cliff. Thus, with them, they brought along another half to fill the gap. It has been hard to find fliers for even this much of supplies.
The supplies in front of them won't even serve a quarter of the children.
He had been an officer in the army for a while. His eye for the supplies is impeccable.
These supplies will by no means support the children here.
To think that the future warriors of Frigia had to give up their quests because of lack of supplies ! It will be a shame on their country !
In that moment, the sadness and anger welled up from the bottom of his heart. He felt ashamed of himself for looking down on his brother, who had probably given up climbing Reotonarch for such reasons. To think he scolded him for not being determined enough ! Tears welled up from his heart in regret !
' This bastard ! '
' THIS SHAMELESS BEASTLY BASTARD ! ' the officer roared in his mind, as he beat his chest and cried out in anger.
Climbing Reotonarch is the most sacrosanct rite of their Frigia ! How dare a man insult this tradition and undermine their country this way ? He wished he could rip Kovac with his bare hands !
The officer decided then and there ! He will help duke Max to the utmost of his ability to apprehend this beast pretending to be a noble man.
He noticed Princess Ise at that time.
" Your grace ! " he kneeled immediately.
" Sir Knight ! This man here is an accomplice of the minister Kovacs. He confessed to killing Mammoths and Yeti. On top of that, he was soliciting the children into illegal service through a cursed form. Abused the power given to him, trying to coerce children into service of the Kovacs family. " Ise said.
" Duchess Elantra Zephyr will stand witness for this. " Ise added.
The man who was locked in the ice coffin was sweating bullets.
" You are the princess ? " he squeaked.
Ise and Elantra are both dressed lightly, without furs, with only cotton coats. Thus, the man assumed they are poor enough to not afford fur coats, and talented enough to get in here with sheer physical prowess of the poor children.
" Keep him well, officer, he seems to have a lot more information. " Ise warned the officer.
" Yes, Your grace." The officer answered, with a feral smile directed at the man.
" Also, bring us food, medicine and sleeping bags. Tents are to be prioritized for the last. " Ise told him.
At this point, the officer had already formed an inexplicable trust in Ise.
" Yes, your grace. " he said.
" Lady Elantra ! I have to trouble you to create a suitable resting point for our comrades. I will assist you. " Ise told her.
Elantra nodded happily, looking at the peaks in front of her.
She pointed at the tallest one first. Ise nodded.