Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 24

I nodded. "Mm-hmm." I opened my magic storage and brought out a thick, winter fur coat with a hood. I said, "Excuse me," as I shuffled myself and put it on. Then I asked, "Would you like one, Aldric? A coat?"

"I'm fine for now," he said.

"I guess you're used to the cold, eh?"

He nodded.

As we descended farther down the mountain, I finally noticed something oddly familiar. The land here was different from the ones we had passed through before entering the Northern Alps. Those lands were flat with gentle rolling hills. They were obviously designed for growing wheat and animals grazing. Here, however, there were fields built into steep hillsides that cascaded down like a terrace. Each field was depressed and the earth looked muddy and soft. To me, these fields looked like rice paddies. But could they even grow rice here? Since cultivating it required an enormous labor and, indeed, a lot of water.

I turned to look behind me. No, scratch that. The snow across the mountains of the Northern Alps that'd melt during the warmer seasons, would flow down through the river and flood those fields.

Rice paddies. Rice! If they really did have rice here...

I felt myself smiling with excitement. Then again, my thrill died down just as quickly when I realized I had not seen rice sold anywhere in the markets of the towns and villages we had passed through. And I hadn't seen anyone eating rice as part of their diet either.

Perhaps there was no rice in this world after all. It looked like I'd have to magically create it when I felt the craving for rice dishes.

"We're in Norsewood land," Aldric said.

"Really?" I said, looking around, noting even more paddy-like fields now that we were on the flats. Not to mention the snow was falling harder, too.

"Will we see Norsewood town soon?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm," he responded.

And we did when the view of the town's wall—shattered and scorched black as though it had been attacked by something powerful and deadly—greeted me. I gasped, shocked and confused, at the horrendous sight.

Was this the result of that dungeon break Aldric had told me about? How many lives had been lost? Oh, God, the devastation.

As we entered and trailed through the ruined town, I drifted my gaze across here and there, noting more wreckage. Most of the cottages were destroyed while larger buildings used for businesses were damaged beyond repair. This was a war zone, and I felt my heart aching.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Aldric," I said, my voice quivering.

"It was four years ago," he said, his tone hard, and I could tell he was doing his utter best to keep his emotions under control. I guessed one never got used to seeing the destruction and desolation, especially when it was your own hometown.

After we left the town, we rode for another ten minutes in silence, and suddenly, I felt Aldric tense up behind me. He uttered, his voice filled with raw emotions, "No!"

I felt the stallion galloping at a neck-breaking pace, and as Aldric urged it to go even faster, I knew something was amiss. I lifted my gaze to the horizon and saw, to my astonishment, a manor looming on the hill, half torn to pieces and smoke rising.

Holy shit! What had happened? Was that supposed to be Norsewood Manor? Aldric's home?

I involuntarily wrapped my arms around his mighty arm, to comfort him, even though I knew he didn't feel it since he was focused on what was ahead.