Chapter 8
Apple Pie
By the time Isaac returned to Black Goose Village, the sun was already setting.
He couldn’t climb the rope ladder in the vertical shaft because his right arm had been injured while fighting the Winter Spider Queen.
After wandering through other tunnels, he had barely managed to find another exit.
He wanted to sit, to rest, to lie down and sleep immediately—
but he forced himself to ignore the overwhelming fatigue.
If the sun set completely, something bad might really happen.
Thanks to pushing himself forward, he managed to reach the village before nightfall.
At the back path connected to the abandoned mine, he spotted a familiar figure.
The face was hidden by darkness, but the person’s anxiety was obvious.
They couldn’t stay still, pacing back and forth.
Soon, the man noticed Isaac stumbling toward him.
“Young master!”
“…Hans?”
Seeing the man rush toward him, Isaac realized his guess had been correct.
The tension drained from him.
An irresistible wave of drowsiness followed.
“…What should I do? I came out without telling the head servant.”
“Did you tell them I left the estate?”
“No?! If the master finds out, there’ll be chaos. How could I possibly tell him…?”
“You did well.”
Soon, amid the quiet murmurs of Hans and the nanny, Isaac slowly opened his eyes.
He looked around—it was the nanny’s house.
The place brought him comfort, but his eyelids and body still felt unbearably heavy.
“But really, you don’t know? They say the young master went all the way to the abandoned mine.”
“I don’t. Jaeger guided him part of the way, but after that, he said he went hunting himself. That man only cares about himself!”
“You didn’t tell him he was the young master when you introduced him, right?”
“I said he was a student from the Mage Tower visiting for observation! But still, letting a child go into an abandoned mine—how could he be so careless?”
A small hut.
A dining table.
Hans and the nanny.
A warm fireplace.
‘Is this… that dream again?’
It looked exactly like the nightmare he used to have.
A blizzard raging outside,
and the dead—those who died because of him—entering the hut one by one.
Then, a cheerful feast.
“….”
Isaac glanced out the window.
It was a dark night.
There was no blizzard.
No feast had been prepared.
This wasn’t a dream.
“…Just like you said, the fever’s almost completely gone. There’s still a slight warmth, but the coughing stopped.”
“That’s the kind of person the young master is. He’s been sensitive since the explosion, but that kind heart of his hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Hans spoke with firm conviction.
He trusted Isaac completely.
A warmth spread through Isaac’s chest—alongside a chilling fear.
Gratitude that Hans still thought well of him.
But also fear—that if things continued like this, he might lose Hans and the nanny again.
“Hans.”
Isaac pushed himself up.
His head throbbed, and his right arm ached.
“Oh—young master! You’re awake? You should lie down more.”
Hans rushed over and helped him sit up.
“How long did I sleep?”
“About half a day. Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
“I’m fine. I can manage.”
“What do you mean ‘manage’? Why did you go somewhere so dangerous alone? You didn’t go into the mine, did you?”
The nanny immediately bombarded him with questions.
“…I was gathering herbs nearby and slipped.”
Isaac made something up.
Would anyone believe that a frail twelve-year-old had killed winter spiders?
If anything, they’d just think he’d hit his head.
“How’s Hinder?”
“He’s much better, thanks to you. The other children in the village too.”
“That’s a relief.”
Isaac walked over to the bed near the fireplace.
The bluish spots on Hinder’s face were gone.
His breathing was steady.
When Isaac placed a hand on his forehead, there was no fever.
“How did you even know about those herbs? Even the doctor sent by the lord didn’t know.”
“…I just happened to read about it in a book. The symptoms looked like a strange kind of pneumonia. Apparently, in those cases, normal treatments don’t work.”
Isaac decided not to mention mana poisoning.
If that fact reached higher authorities, scholars or mages would be brought in, and a large-scale search for monsters would follow.
If the winter spider corpses in the mine were discovered, it would only complicate things.
“As expected of you, young master!”
Hans exclaimed.
“It was just luck. I happened to read about it somewhere.”
“Then Hinder and the other children… they’ll be okay now?”
“Yeah. If they get through today, they’ll recover as long as they eat well and rest.”
“Thank you, thank you, young master… I don’t know how to repay this…”
The nanny’s eyes welled with tears.
She must have endured so much—his confident reassurance seemed to break the dam holding her emotions back.
“I thought… if I lost him too, I might not go on living…”
“Sister.”
Hans gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Please understand, young master. Her husband died while working as a guard in Bern City… and the children she had before… one after another…”
“I know.”
Isaac nodded.
He had learned this only after the nanny passed away, from other servants.
It would’ve been better if he had known earlier—but it wasn’t too late.
“For the next three days, Hinder needs complete rest. Massage his hands and feet from time to time. Always boil water and let him drink it warm. Keep the temperature like this, and make sure the fireplace doesn’t go out. Tell the other villagers to do the same.”
“…Yes.”
The nanny wiped her tears and nodded.
“Hans, let’s go.”
“What? Already? It’s snowing outside. Shouldn’t you rest more?”
“If it gets out that I left the estate, it won’t end well for you. Worst case, you’ll be whipped.”
“…!”
Hans’s face turned pale.
“Oh, young master—before you go, take something from over there if you need it.”
“Hm?”
“The villagers wanted to give their thanks. They said to pass these to the ‘student from the Mage Tower.’”
The nanny pointed to several baskets.
They were filled with fruits, berries, and fish.
The “Mage Tower student” was the identity Isaac had fabricated.
If people found out he was the lord’s son, it would only cause trouble.
“Apples…”
A faint smile appeared on Isaac’s face as he looked through the basket.
“Nanny, take about a week off.”
“…Pardon?”
“You should make sure Hinder fully recovers before coming back. You need rest too. And when he’s better, you should spend time with him.”
“But… will that be okay? The head servant won’t just let it slide.”
“Who said you should just rest? Make this into jam.”
Crunch.
Isaac bit into a red apple.
Apples grown in cold, dry climates were especially sweet with little acidity.
As moisture evaporated, sugar concentration increased, and the cold suppressed enzymes that produced sourness.
“Apple jam?”
“Yeah. When you come back to work, serve it with wheat bread.”
A smile formed on the nanny’s face.
Her eyes were still red.
“Then… how about apple pie?”
“Sounds good.”
Isaac nodded, satisfied.
***
On the way back, just as Hans had said, snow was falling.
The wind wasn’t harsh—but the biting cold remained the same.
Isaac wasn’t in good condition.
It was because he hadn’t fully recovered after returning from the abandoned mine.
How strong could the body of an untrained twelve-year-old really be?
On top of that, once the relief of having accomplished his task settled in, pain began to surface from all over his body.
His ankle was the worst.
It had felt fine at first, but after walking for about an hour, a dull ache spread through it, and every step brought heat and pain.
“Is your foot bothering you?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re limping. You should let me carry you.”
“I said I’m fine.”
Isaac answered coldly, but Hans showed no sign of backing down.
“Get on.”
Hans crouched and offered his back.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Please don’t be stubborn. I’m not doing this for you—I’m doing it for myself. If we want to get back before the head servant finds out, we need to arrive before dawn. At this rate, we won’t make it even by midday.”
“….”
“Hurry. Have mercy on me.”
He spoke as if coaxing a child.
Isaac’s lips twitched.
‘Yeah… this is how he was. This is exactly why I liked him.’
Isaac wanted to keep his distance from Hans.
But this time, Hans was right.
Reluctantly, Isaac ended up being carried on Hans’s back.
Contrary to what he expected, it was comfortable enough that the sleep he had been fighting off began to return.
***
At night, the Goethe estate was quiet and subdued.
The servants had returned to their quarters near the estate, and the attendants had either gone home or retired to their rooms in the annex.
The only ones left were the guards stationed at the main entrances—but using paths he knew, Hans managed to sneak them back into Isaac’s room unnoticed.
“I’ll prepare bathwater and fresh clothes.”
“Alright.”
Hans had carried Isaac for hours through the snow.
He must have been exhausted, yet as soon as they returned, he took care of Isaac first without complaint.
Isaac sat in a chair, reviewing everything that had happened.
It had only been a single day, but so much had occurred.
He even found himself wondering if it had really happened—if he had truly eliminated the winter spiders, truly saved the children of Black Goose Village.
Now that he was back in his room, it all felt like something from a dream.
“Haa…”
Even after dozing off on Hans’s back, he was still sleepy.
If he lay down now, he felt like he might pass out for a long time.
‘I need stamina first.’
Through his battle with the Winter Spider Queen, Isaac had identified his weaknesses.
His mana wasn’t lacking—but his mental endurance, physical stamina, and ability to control mana were still far from sufficient.
Above all, his body and mind couldn’t keep up with the amount of mana he possessed.
Contrary to common belief, one of the most important traits for a mage was physical stamina.
Mental strength and physical endurance were inseparable.
Without the latter, one couldn’t endure long research or training.
‘I’ll start with running.’
Knock knock—
As he was organizing his thoughts, a knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
He assumed it was Hans—
but instead, the head servant, Schiller, entered.
“It’s quite late, but I saw your light was on. Are you not asleep?”
“Ah… yeah. I couldn’t sleep.”
Schiller, wearing a monocle, stared at Isaac expressionlessly.
“Where have you been?”
In that instant, Isaac felt sleep vanish completely.
If it became known that he had gone all the way to Black Goose Village, countless complications would follow.
A chill ran down his spine.
“I just felt stuffy. Took a walk near the garden.”
He answered as naturally as possible.
“Please refrain from leaving the estate at night. Given His Excellency’s status, there may be those who would target you.”
“…Alright.”
Fortunately, Schiller didn’t press further.
But Isaac couldn’t relax.
Suddenly, Schiller brushed Isaac’s hair aside.
“You’ve scratched your forehead. You’re injured. Your clothes are dirty as well.”
“Ah… it was dark. I tripped over a rock and rolled.”
“I see. Be more careful.”
“Okay.”
“You may be troubled, but you should sleep at night. You are at an age where you must grow.”
“Got it. I’ll sleep.”
Isaac glanced toward the door.
Hans peeked through the gap, then quickly disappeared.
For a moment, Isaac saw the worry on his face.
“Then, have a good night.”
“You too, Schiller.”
Schiller opened the door to leave.
Just as Isaac was about to sigh in relief—
“Next time you go out, at least inform me of your destination.”
Schiller’s dry voice stopped him.
“…You knew?”
“I heard it from Hans.”
‘He pressured Hans,’ Isaac thought.
Come to think of it, Schiller had clearly been prepared for something.
For someone who lived like clockwork, it was strange enough that he was awake at this hour—but he was also wearing a thick gambeson instead of servant attire, and at his waist hung a wand embedded with a mana stone.
“You treated the pneumonia of the children from Black Goose Village, I hear. If this becomes public, the advisors will not stay silent. I will overlook it this once. Next time, exercise restraint. If you cannot, then consult me at least.”
Schiller spoke in the same dry tone.
A rigid old man.
Before his death, Jonas had once told Isaac—
Schiller had served the Goethe family since the previous lord, and even as the house fell, he remained at his post until his dying breath.
Isaac had never been particularly close to him.
Schiller always kept a proper distance from everyone.
But now—
Isaac understood a little.
The old man was more considerate than he appeared.
Nodding, Isaac replied,
“Alright. Thank you, Schiller.”
“Rest well.”
Schiller left the room with the same composed steps as when he entered.
***
A week passed.
“Huff… huff…”
Isaac ran through the garden.
More than anything, what he needed now was stamina.
Even mages who spent their lives in laboratories didn’t neglect running.
And for Isaac—who planned to face countless battles ahead—it was even more essential.
“Young master!”
A voice called out to him.
Isaac stopped running and turned around.
It was Hinder and the nanny.
When their eyes met, Hinder waved enthusiastically, and the nanny gave a small bow.
They carried a basket covered with cloth.
As they approached, a sweet aroma drifted through the air.
Apple pie.
He knew he should keep his distance from them.
But perhaps it was the smell of food—
For just this moment, Isaac broke into a wide smile.