ALL NOVEL Chapter 419
One of the most notable taboos in human society is fratricide.
However, in nature, fratricide is a common occurrence.
Creatures fundamentally compete over limited food and hierarchy.
If they form a group, they will show hostility toward their own kind without hesitation to produce more offspring.
Humans are no different.
Although battles and wars may arise for reasons like religion, family glory, and honor, if you dig deeper, it’s basically humans drawing swords to live better than others.
Even in the bountiful past life, not just wars happening around the world, but even in everyday corporate life, political maneuvering was exchanged like blades.
Let alone Karem, who was reincarnated in a far poorer and more miserable serf village, has experienced much more primal and brutal conflicts.
So, it wouldn’t be strange if even the disputes among spirit beings, which are considered holy, were not odd.
“I will kill you and restore the fallen values of tradition and the honor of virgins to the rock!!!”
“Can you not hear the voices of the virgins? Compared to this body, you are lacking in dignity, passion, anger, hatred, magical power, the sheen of your fur, and even your physical strength, but above all, you lack speed?”
“Hehehehehehehehe!!!!”
Thus, the fratricide among unicorns should also not be unusual.
The chase between the onager and five unicorns silenced with a mighty roar that faded beyond the horizon.
Huru-Luru-Look—
Karem spread some mussel soup on his meal and shared his final thoughts.
“That seems to be the normal unicorn’s pursuit of that onager, huh? If it’s a fallen tradition… does that mean they are promoting just an ordinary virgin instead of the honorable ones?”
“There are always progressive or conservative figures opposing the will of rulers or institutions, so it’s not strange at all.”
“Well, this isn’t Iceland.”
“Karem, my dear, that’s because Iceland is the exception.”
Indeed, that statement wasn’t entirely incorrect. There are always rebels in every place and every era.
Once the distinctive sights completely disappeared in the direction of Kingsland, the group finished their meal and set off on their journey once again.
Given the season, there were occasional ambushes from hungry wild beasts and monsters targeting the plump snowrunners pulling the wagon, but they were all easily repelled.
Among them, there was even one valuable enough to catch Catherine’s attention. An ice troll, perhaps.
However, afterward, the snowfall became so severe that even magic wouldn’t save them from isolation.
Eventually, they had no choice but to give up.
“Don’t you feel regret?”
“Well, I can always buy it through an auction or a merchant, so it’s not a big deal. I thought you would be the one feeling regret more.”
“Me?”
“I thought you would rush in wanting to eat some ice troll meat.”
“Ugh, even I think that’s a bit much…”
And that was a brilliant choice, as the closer they got to Coldon, the more the accumulation and pace of the snow became apparent.
Of course, since the animals pulling the wagon were two snowrunners that walked on top of the snow, there was a clear limit due to the heavy load of the wagon.
As a result, Catherine had to cast enhancement magic halfway through.
“You didn’t cast it from the start.”
“Magic isn’t omnipotent. Relying on it isn’t good either.”
Catherine looked at him as if it were only natural and ate the sorbet Karem offered.
Since there was a village along the route, they decided to take a short break for the snowrunners to rest and to check the condition of the wagon.
Although staying in the wagon wouldn’t change much.
Nonetheless, there was more time than when they were moving, so they had a chance to make snacks between meals as usual.
“Mmm, refreshing.”
“Well, I know that too.”
Given how incredible the spellcaster was, it was hard to feel it.
Especially, Karem directly experienced her magical prowess by taking down a unicorn that tried to headbutt him.
She made him walk on water, strengthened his already formidable physical capabilities with divine power, and not only that but ensured he wouldn’t lose composure to the extent of it.
“Have you thought about how you’re going to use the unicorn meat?”
“Well, I think it might be similar to horse meat.”
“Still, it’s a creature treated as a spirit being. There will definitely be differences, so try tasting it before you cook.”
“Well, that’s something to discuss after proper slaughter anyway.”
Jinx.
In other words, a taboo.
In modern life, it was merely an inductive superstition.
It was treated as a routine to calm one’s mind.
However, in a land where magic and curses exist, jinxes are a clear phenomenon; they operate as natural curses.
Indeed.
If a broken barrel at a feast remains intact, that ship will have bad luck throughout its voyage, and if you see a black cat first thing in the morning, that day will indeed be unfortunate, and working on land with a bad foundation will end poorly.
Of course, since natural curses can’t be nailed down precisely, it’s uncertain what counts as a jinx, and even that fluctuates.
Anyway, during their journey, Karem had nothing specific to do besides cooking and petting Catherine, so he quietly rummaged through recipes in his mind.
*
*
*
Although Catherine insisted she wasn’t omnipotent despite being a sage-level grand wizard, her skills certainly didn’t diminish, and after the maintenance was completed, they left the village.
After repeating brief halts for meals and camping, they finally arrived in Coldon.
Returning to Coldon in mid-winter felt very cozy compared to autumn.
“Tutatis, good gracious! I thought this winter would be mild, and here comes all this rubbish!”
“Oh, oh! Snow is pouring from the roof!”
“I’m selling snow shovels! Shovels! It might not break even if the Warrior God swings it!”
“Crazy, we just cleared this, and who’s that filthy brat that just dumped snow here? Whoa! Father-in-law! Just a moment—”
Everyone seemed furious, shoveling the snow.
“Oh, what a heart-thumping sight.”
Mary, holding the reins from the driver’s seat, looked at the scene and placed her hand on her heart.
“With such a heavy snowfall, I can only imagine how much snow has accumulated around the Wizard’s Tower!”
“That was all cleared a long time ago.”
What? Mary couldn’t let that slide, and gripping the reins with her feet, she leaned over to peek inside the wagon.
“What did you just say?”
“I mean, come on. Think about it logically.”
Of course, not clearing snow for visitors at this time of year could harm the prestige of Winterhome and the Wizard’s Tower.
“Karem, my junior, sometimes I find your insistence on the truth a little annoying.”
“But that’s the reality.”
As Karem emphasized reality once more, Mary stared at him carefully before returning to her place and grabbing the reins.
As expected, the surroundings of the Mage Tower in Winterhome, where they returned, were cleanly cleared for visitors to comfortably come.
It was even as if some sort of magic had been cast, as there was no snow accumulating around the tower.
Finding this, Mary couldn’t tolerate such a transgression, so she parked the wagon and as soon as she finished organizing the luggage, she almost flew into the tower like a rocket.
“…Well, I guess I need to figure out what to do with that unicorn now.”
“Yeah. Go to the old man and explain the situation. He’ll prepare everything on his own.”
Karem was puzzled by this unexpected statement.
“Eh? Aren’t you going to do it, Catherine?”
“I need to report to my lord, and while I’m away, I have to check the documents the old man organized.”
Catherine tossed a spatial-expansion pouch at Karem.
“So, go tell the old man, not me. He has enough experience to handle the preliminary tasks.”
Although she had temporarily stepped away, she had ensured things would proceed smoothly.
However, the work piled up regardless.
Let alone Olivier wouldn’t finish anything on his own for an undisciplined graduate.
With no choice, Karem headed toward Olivier’s office, leaving Catherine behind.
“Oh my goodness! Karem? A unicorn?”
“A whole unicorn? Wait, what? That’s all Kitty’s share? Are you out of your mind?”
Hearing about another unicorn, Robin, who was taking lessons, gasped in shock, while Olivier was horrified yet again.
After all, just one intact unicorn horn would be worth a fortune, and now they were talking about an entire one? Moreover, what? They casually handed it over like it was a burden?
“Are you really losing your mind? …ah.”
Olivier smacked his forehead after seeing Karem looking at him blankly as if it didn’t matter.
Thinking back, this was the guy who had cheerfully handed over the tail of a Dragon Lord for culinary use, except for the rest, which he offered willingly.
Compared to that, a unicorn was nothing.
However, to be honest, honestly speaking.
Olivier was envious.
Having a husband(?) like that created opportunities in life that even sages could rarely experience, so if this didn’t make one jealous, it would mean their patience had reached divine levels.
“First it was a mammoth, and now it’s a unicorn. What on earth happened this time?”
Robin asked with a reproachful look at Alicia, who had caused the incident.
Karem felt wronged.
“I think I’m the one who’s wronged here. The incident came looking for me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Literally, one of them suddenly broke away from the group sailing across the horizon and rushed towards us.”
“Huh?”
“And I was there with Catherine by Mary’s side!”
“???”
Robin could hardly understand most of that declaration, but he did grasp this fact:
Unlike the onager, the freezing, trembling unicorn before him was an aggressive creature that attacked anyone but the virgins people commonly know.
“So, I decided to use some of the meat after dismantling it.”
“What? The pig is going to love that.”
“That was the initial purpose I said I would use it for.”
Though to also satiate his own curiosity was a considerable part of his motive.
“In that sense, Catherine told me to ask for the preliminary work to be done by Olivier.”
“What? Me?”
“Yeah. She said you need to check the tasks you deliberately left for Catherine. You need to report it as well.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that.”
Olivier hit his forehead once more.
This way, he had no chance to enjoy messing with his undisciplined apprentice.
But then again, they couldn’t just leave a freshly caught unicorn like this either.
As Olivier grumbled and gestured, all sorts of magical materials, books, and tools for Robin’s lessons, which had been laid out, began returning to their original shelves as if time had reversed.
“I’m very sorry, but it seems we’ll need to replace Prince’s class time with another subject.”
“Is it with the jinx class you mentioned earlier?”
“That’s right. Since preparing for methods to avoid jinxes requires a variety of preparations, it won’t interfere with Prince’s schedule and class plans.”
Olivier brushed his beard back, dismissing his still-held hand.
“So Karem, put this frozen unicorn corpse back. We need to contact the estate, and if that doesn’t work, we will have to hire a guild member, oh what a mess.”
“The guild? A guild member?”
“A keeper from the Adventurer Guild, in other words, a butcher.”
Exceptional materials require exceptional expertise.
“Still, with Narque around, I think one person should do just fine.”
“Huh? Narque?”
At the mention of the timid yet somewhat odd elf necromancer’s name, Karem was left bewildered.