Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The Dwarves' Honesty
The White Witch just let him go so easily?
Ino was somewhat astonished, even suspecting for a moment that there was something wrong with his hearing.
He had thought that today's confrontation would end with him being coerced into joining her cause. Who would have thought that she would let him leave so nonchalantly? For a moment, he stood there in a daze, unsure of what to do next.
However, the White Witch seemed to possess a magic that could see through people's hearts.
"Who do you think you are? The High Law? I didn't freeze Narnia for a hundred years relying on lackeys."
The atmosphere in the garden, which had just begun to ease, turned grim once more.
"Apologies, Your Majesty! I just…"
"Get out! Pack your things and take your accordion. I'll have a vulture take you."
Facing the enraged White Witch, Ino felt a bit scared deep down and regretted his hesitation earlier. Like a dragon never lies to a wagtail because there's no need to, he thought he shouldn't have hesitated.
With that in mind, he didn't try to say anything else, bowed slightly, and quietly retreated.
…
The Castle Tower.
The dwarf Simon took out a horn he carried with him, took a deep breath, and blew it towards the sky.
"Bwooo!"
With the low sound of the horn, about five or six minutes later, a black shadow appeared on the distant horizon.
The shadow moved quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it flew to the tower.
After a gust of strong wind, a gigantic vulture over three meters tall came into view.
This was a true bird of prey. Considering the usual height to wingspan ratio of birds, which is typically between 2 and 2.5, this vulture's wingspan was at least over 7 meters, making it easy for it to carry a person in flight.
Ino was also satisfied with the vulture before him, as it concerned the safety of his upcoming journey.
He had thought about leaving by land, but seeing the countless troops outside the castle, he dismissed the idea.
It wasn't that he feared being stopped or causing any trouble; no one would dare defy the White Witch's orders. But to quickly leave the core of the story, riding the vulture became the best choice in the absence of other flying options.
And, as always, he stuck to the principle of not getting involved where he didn't have the strength to handle it.
He knew well what was about to happen. War was inevitable, and the White Witch's death would bring spring to Narnia.
In a war involving thousands, getting involved was simply a death wish.
…
Although many thoughts crossed his mind, in reality, it was only a moment. After the vulture landed and stabilized, Ino picked up his suitcase and walked towards it without any delay.
"Please wait, guest." The previously silent dwarf spoke.
"Although it's not my place as a servant to say this, old Simon knows he doesn't have much time left, so he won't care about propriety anymore."
Hearing this, Ino stopped, turned around, and squatted down to meet the dwarf's gaze.
"Thank you for your care these past three months. I never had the chance to thank you, so feel free to speak your mind."
The dwarf walked up to Ino, placed a hand on his chest, and deeply bowed.
"Thank you! Thank you for what you've done during this time. The queen hasn't been this happy for a long time. Although her happiness isn't visible on the surface, old Simon, having been by her side for so long, can tell…"
After saying this, the dwarf raised his head. His thick beard made it difficult to see his face.
This was the first time Ino had observed the dwarf so closely. Due to their height difference, he had never really paid attention to him before.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed something different.
The dwarf before him had blue eyes with faint purple patterns in his pupils, a stark contrast to the gray-eyed dwarves in the castle.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on such matters. Responding to the dwarf's gratitude, Ino said politely:
"There's no need to thank me. If anyone should be thankful, it's me. I've enjoyed the queen's hospitality for three months without contributing much."
He was being honest. After all, he had been living a life of luxury for three months without doing anything in return.
"It's good that you think this way." The dwarf said earnestly.
The expected polite exchange didn't happen.
Perhaps noticing Ino's surprise, the dwarf explained on his own:
"They say the queen has frozen Narnia, but they don't know that the High Law of Narnia rejects all unrecognized outsiders, giving them no chance to submit. Old Simon's six brothers died because of this…"
At this moment, the dwarf didn't seem like the previously silent servant but rather an old man reminiscing about the past.
"…The queen wasn't like this before, truly! Old Simon knows better than anyone. When you set foot on the white snow, the queen knew everything. You are the third unrecognized outsider left in Narnia."
"So old Simon drove the sleigh with the queen to fetch you. Only by staying in the castle were you safe. Only here could you escape the High Law."
"But now it doesn't matter, because it has no time for anything else."
The dwarf's tone was filled with a sense of grandeur and freedom.
…
The snow had stopped.
The sky over Narnia was no longer gray.
Under the blue sky, a gigantic vulture soared, with mountains and lands below reviving as the snow melted.
Lying on the vulture's back, Ino had no mind to admire the scenery below.
The dwarf's words before leaving made him reevaluate this land, discarding his preconceived notions from the original story.
Though he knew the White Witch came from a world called Charn, nothing about her, Aslan, or the High Law was mentioned in the original story.
Still, he was skeptical of the dwarf's words. Emotionally, there was no reason for the dwarf to lie, but rationally, he held some doubts.
"Narnia is too deep… but luckily, I'm just a passerby." Ino sighed inwardly.
Now, right or wrong, good or evil, didn't matter.
Because the story on this land was coming to an end.
…
After a day's flight, the vulture landed in a quiet valley.
As the snow melted and the land warmed, the valley brimmed with vitality.
In such a serene and beautiful environment, Ino didn't feel like leaving and decided to stay here, quietly waiting for the story to end.
Before leaving the castle, he had intentionally looked at the army on the ice field, knowing that the final battle was only a few days away based on the dark mass of soldiers.
"It's time to go back! When someone returns from a long journey, children always gather around, for he has countless stories to tell…"
Humming a cheerful tune, Ino checked the valley's environment, ensuring there were no wild animals.
Though he planned to stay only for a few days, he never compromised on safety.
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