성황의 아이들 [2]

221

221. Heart of Ice (2)

Glatzer Troll.

It is a huge ice monster that is said to be over 10 meters tall when standing upright. Bern claims to have seen something over 12 meters tall, but that bastard is just bluffing for a day or two.

They have a strange life cycle where they go into a state of pseudo-sleep in the depths of the demon world during the summer, then wake up in the cold winter and slowly begin to become active.

It moves alone, and nothing is exactly known about its population or breeding period.

It usually wanders around the deep glacier area encompassing the northern part of Salz Lake, but on rare occasions, it comes down to the border between the territory and the demon world.

In that case, if they are not subdued in time, the territory will suffer a great loss, as they attack people indiscriminately and their very existence brings severe cold damage.

It is unknown why they were named 'trolls'. Because they look completely different from the trolls that have been passed down in stories from the era of the three ancient dragons.

okay. Why is this a troll? Is it even a living thing in the first place?

Disagreements as to whether this is truly a living demonic beast have been raised consistently since ancient times, but the position of the Orthodox Church on this has always been firm.

Your Majesty, the Great Emperor, according to the children of Bern, there is an inside story to this.

If we deny that they are living demonic beasts, we will naturally classify them as demons who make dead things alive, and at that moment, we will have to dispatch a large group of Holy Knights to subdue demons?

However, none of the cardinals have any intention of dispatching the paladins under their command. While they are busy keeping each other in check, why would they do something that undermines their own power?

Of course, Vern, who causes divisions among the cardinals and starts fights, is the worst guy.

Anyway, common sense tells us that this absolutely cannot be a living thing.

Unlike Lycanslopes, who overcome the cold with their hot body temperature, Glacher Trolls do not try to overcome the cold. As the name suggests, it has a body made of 'ice' and only moves actively in the cold.

They don't even have proper internal organs!

The heart, shining and beating in the chest, will be its only organ.

Of course, it is questionable whether it functions as a heart as its name suggests, but there can be no argument that it is at least as deadly an organ as the heart.

As soon as the heart is taken out of the body, the hard ice body, which is not easy to break, disintegrates in an instant, and eventually completely melts and scatters into the air.

-From Granius' [Exploration of the Miraculous Continent], a banned book designated by the Holy See

* * *

Seongjin received immediate medical attention. Of course, amid Masain's storm-like nagging.

While Sir Valery and Sir Sharon diligently poured divine power on him, the resident knights diligently collected firewood and scooped up clean snow. As it is not enough, I am trying to heat the bath water to wash away the blood.

'Being able to clean one's body on the front line is probably a luxury that a prince can enjoy.'

No matter what, power is the best.