Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love

Chapter 166 Journey To The North (End) The New Resolution

With his search for any trace of Earth within the dwarven technologies complete without getting any fruitful results, Lyan decided it was time to fully embrace life in the fantasy world. Even though it's said, but it's time to move on. The first step towards this new way of living was to travel to the Redania Empire, one of the biggest and most powerful countries in the world, renowned for its might and prowess. But before he could reach the Empire, Lyan first had to journey to the winter cabin that served as a benchmark for getting near the Empire's borders.

Lyan, Tesha, the black aggressive horse, and the five winter wolves set off on their journey. The black aggressive horse, whom Lyan had named Shadow, proved to be quite a challenge to handle. Despite being a fierce and powerful creature, Shadow had a stubborn streak and often refused to obey Lyan's commands. This led to several comical interactions between Lyan and the horse, with Lyan trying to assert his dominance and Shadow stubbornly refusing to listen.

Lyan attempted to subdue him and thought about registering him as part of the summoning grimoire's summonable creatures, but he persistently refused. he would use give him a powerful headbutt that is powerful enough to knock out Alpha the winter wolf pack's alpha in a single hit, and would aim at him with his hooves. After several attempts, Lyan decided to give up and just focus on their journey.

As they journeyed north, the group encountered several monsters and dangerous terrains. The winter wolves, who had grown accustomed to the cold and harsh conditions of the north, proved to be valuable companions, fearlessly facing off against any monsters that dared to cross their path. As they are skilled in walking on top of the terrain, their traveling speed is in a decent speed. But Shadow, who had never been in the north before, struggled to adapt to the freezing temperatures of the further north that is getting colder with time. He would often refuse to move, and Lyan had to use all of his strength and patience to coax the horse forward.

Despite the challenges they faced, Lyan pushed on, determined to reach their destination. As they journeyed, Lyan finally realized a single thing.

(The great spirits are strangely quiet...) (Lyan)

They would usually give comments about whatever he does, and they would definitely laugh if they saw his bickering with the aggressive black horse.

(You guys there?) (Lyan)

There is no response, only silence that replied to his question. But as Lyan was about to utter another word inside his mind, thinking that he might coincidentally disconnect the connection with the grimoire's space, a reply came.

(We're here)

A cold yet noble voice appeared from within his mind.

(Ah. Eira. You're alone? Where are the others?) (Lyan)

After getting an answer from Eira, his first thought is that they just got another fun game that they could play together. But Eira's reply is different.

(Because of the immense mana of ice from the outside that started to also affect you, some of the mana is being absorbed by the grimoire, making the entire space here snow nonstop) (Eira)

Eira's tone is like she's explaining something that is obvious and not surprising. But thinking that it's normal since it might be comfortable for her with the dense amount of ice mana surrounding her, Lyan continued.

(I see... No wonder I don't need much mana to warm myself up. So what are the others doing?) (Lyan)

(...They are cuddling themselves with their dolls and sheets inside their rooms while turning on the heater nonstop. Some of them are reading your books while the rest are just sleeping on top of their bed all day. I guess this will continue until they finally get accustomed to the cold) (Eira)

(Those girls...) (Lyan)

Lyan could only make a bitter smile when he heard Eira's reply, thinking that rather than high spirits or great spirits, great slackers is a more appropriate title for them.

"But well, at least they are not getting bored to death inside, I guess?" Lyan uttered as he stared at the distance from on top of the coachman's seat. The winter wolves have an intellect as high as the black aggressive horse, they don't need Lyan to hold the reins, and they could change their direction just by a single order he gave them.

As they neared the Empire's borders, the group came across a particularly treacherous stretch of terrain. The ground was icy and slick, making it difficult for Shadow to maintain his footing. The winter wolves, who were well-suited to the conditions, had no such issues and easily navigated the terrain. But Shadow struggled, slipping and sliding as he tried to make his way forward.

Just as it seemed that the group would have to turn back, Tesha had an idea. She suggested using the winter wolves to guide Shadow, with one wolf in front to show him the way, and the others behind to help keep him steady. Lyan was hesitant at first, not wanting to put the wolves in danger. But Tesha was insistent, and Lyan eventually agreed to give it a try.

(It would not be funny if that horse felt that his pride is hurt because of this and ended up getting berserk towards Alpha and the others instead...) (Lyan)

To Lyan's surprise, the plan worked perfectly. The wolves expertly guided Shadow through the treacherous terrain, and the group was able to walk through the path successfully.

After several weeks of traveling, Lyan and his group finally arrived at the winter cabin. It was a large, sturdy structure built of logs, designed to provide shelter and warmth to those who dared to journey to the north in the winter. As they approached, Lyan could see smoke rising from the chimney, indicating that there were other travelers inside.

Cautiously, Lyan and his group made their way toward the cabin. As they neared, the door opened, and a group of travelers stepped out. They were a rough-looking bunch, dressed in furs and carrying weapons. Lyan could tell from their hard expressions and the way they carried themselves that they were not to be underestimated.

"Who are you and what business do you have here?" The leader of the group, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running down his cheek, barked at Lyan.

Lyan stepped forward, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I am Lyan, and my companions and I are also traveling to the Redania Empire. We sought shelter here for the night."

The leader of the group sneered, "You think you can just waltz in here and expect us to share our warmth and food with you? We've been traveling for weeks, and we've earned our place here. We're not about to give it up to some stranger."

Lyan could see that this was going to be a difficult interaction, but he refused to back down. "I understand your position, but we have been traveling for just as long, and we have also earned our place here. We do not seek to take anything from you, but we ask for your cooperation and understanding."

The leader of the group considered Lyan's words for a moment. He saw the winter wolves glaring at him while barely holding themselves from making a threatening growl, a black horse that is staring condescendingly at him, and a little girl that is cutely trying to threaten him with her glare.

(Those are winter wolves... He must be a strong tamer...)

After assessing the situation, the man finally replied with a nod. "Fine, you and your companions can stay here for the night. But we're keeping an eye on you, and if you so much as breathe the wrong way, you'll regret it."

Lyan nodded in agreement and the group settled in for the night. Despite the initial hostility, as the night went on, Lyan and his group got to know the other travelers, and discovered that they were all heading to the Redania Empire for similar reasons. Some were seeking wealth and power, others were looking for adventure and excitement, but they all had one thing in common, they wanted a better life than what they had in their home.

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Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary

Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow

Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastplate, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1), Fey Mammoth (Lv. 1), Arcane Retriever (Lv. 1), Winter Wolf Alpha (Lv. 12)

Grimoire's Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army