◆ Freezing Castle – King’s Chamber ◆
“Thank you! Truly, thank you! This is more than enough to celebrate! Thank you!”
I had lost count of how many times I had been thanked. The plump King kept rubbing his hands together, starting to prepare a feast right there. I couldn’t believe he was planning to express his gratitude in such a way, and then he pulled out a large pile of gold coins. No way.
“This is a token of my appreciation! Please accept it!”
“Your Majesty, that’s the budget for this year!”
“If the kingdom is gone, then the budget means nothing! Let go of me!”
“Please, stay calm!”
The King, held back by several of his ministers, sat on his throne with a disgruntled expression. He was nothing like the Kings of the Wizard Kingdom or Kashiram.
“…I apologize for showing you such an unseemly sight. After all, we have been helped time and again. Our ancestors built this nation in this harsh, frigid land, but… I have not been able to manage it well in my time. Especially to you, Rainis-chan, I owe a debt I can never repay.”
Rainis, still holding Shin in her arms, was already digging into the prepared meal. I understood that she had a soft spot for Rainis, but with such a peculiar creature in her arms, I wished she would show at least a hint of curiosity. After all, she was the King.
“I don’t know if this meal and gold coins will satisfy you. If it’s not enough, then…”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about the meal… it’s more than enough for me.”
Kurinka, who would never back down when it came to food, preferred the meal over gold coins.
“By the way, are you serious about attacking the Demon Lord Castle?”
“Yes, that’s why we need permission to enter the Great Garnis Glacier.”
“That’s what she said, Your Majesty.”
“If Rainis-chan says it’s okay…”
The King was constantly glancing at Rainis, and even I was starting to feel irritated. He should have been a bit more dignified; after all, he was the highest authority in the kingdom.
“You decide, there’s no need to keep looking at my face.”
“B-but Rainis-chan…”
“The King is you!”
“Y-yes! Then I grant permission!”
Rainis had completely changed since I first met her; she was once arrogant and unpleasant, but now she seemed to have shed that toxicity. Apparently, she had reflected on her inability to handle Nentro and wanted to be liked more by others. It felt a bit off, but if she had truly changed for the better, then that was fine.
After some time spent on issuing permits and whatnot, we were finally allowed to pass. Rainis added, almost as a threat, that the A-Rank adventurers who had entered the Great Garnis Glacier had yet to return. Her sarcasm hadn’t changed much, but after we showed our Adventurer Cards, she became surprisingly compliant.
With the endorsement from the True Flame Witch that we could take on even the Demon Lord, I felt a sense of relief for the time being.
◆ Freezing Nation – Great Garnis Glacier Checkpoint ◆
“Yes, confirmed. You may proceed.”
They let us through with just a glance at our pass. It seemed to state that if we got lost in the Great Garnis Glacier, the kingdom would not send out a search party. In other words, it was all on us if anything happened.
High-level dungeons were popular among high-rank adventurers, but the Great Garnis Glacier was not frequented by many. The environment was harsh, and there were hardly any valuable materials to be found, making it not worth the risk. According to Rainis, only adventurers aiming for uncharted territories dared to venture here, which meant it attracted a few thrill-seekers and reckless individuals. If it weren’t for the Demon Lord Castle being deep within, we might not have even considered coming here.
“Listen, I can block most of the cold with my Heat, but I can’t guarantee anything deeper in. It might be an environment even I, the True Flame Witch, can’t handle. Are you sure about this? Hey, Shin-chan?”
I could only imagine how puzzled the soldiers must have been as Rainis spoke to her bag of tools. Still, for Rainis to express such concern, it had to be a place more dangerous than the Abyss Cave.
“…I understand your strength well. But you know, I tasted the feeling of being completely overwhelmed during this incident. If possible, I wouldn’t want you to experience that. And you don’t have to defeat the Demon Lord either.”
“Regardless of the Demon Lord, there’s someone we need to meet…”
“Rainis, I’m surprised you’re so worried about us. It’s a bit anticlimactic.”
“Huh?! I was talking to Shin-chan! You’re so self-conscious, are you an idiot?!”
The two had grown close enough to tease Rainis. With a flushed face, she stubbornly retorted. If she was talking to Shin, then this was the Demon Lord Army after all. It felt like I had completely won her over.
“Well then, Rainis. Once we’re done with our business, we’ll come to visit again.”
“You can come, but bring Shin-chan with you. Otherwise, I won’t let you into town.”
“Got it, got it.”
With Rainis looking back at us with concern, we finally took our first step into the Great Garnis Glacier. I felt a rush of excitement as I gazed at the endless expanse of snow.
◆ Great Garnis Glacier ◆
A world where it seemed like only white existed. After confirming that the Freezing Nation was out of sight, I had Kurinka transform into a Dragon. To be honest, this was my first experience with snow, and I wanted to play around with it. I wanted to dive in headfirst and even make a snowman. But I held back with great effort.
“Thanks to Rainis-san’s Heat, it’s not cold at all. Oh, but I guess it doesn’t matter for you, Rua-chan.”
“Kurinka has been a bit too chatty lately.”
“I-I didn’t mean it in a bad way…”
That was true; I had become sensitive to her teasing remarks. But since we arrived here, I hadn’t felt particularly cold, so she might have a point.
The view of the Great Garnis Glacier from above was breathtaking. I understood why it was considered an uncharted territory, but the idea that it could swallow the lives of those who dared to explore it was hard to believe.
“Oh, it looks like it’s starting to snow.”
Snow began to fall gently from the sky. It quickly intensified, mixing with the wind to become a blizzard. We were soon battered by horizontal snow, and before we knew it, we were completely covered.
“W-whoa, this blizzard… I can’t see anything! Do you think we can fly out of here?”
“Should we find somewhere to rest until it stops?”
“In this state, it wouldn’t matter where we are. I’m fine, so let’s keep going… wait, what’s that?!”
【Blizzard Moby has appeared! HP 27300】
【A flock of Storm Birds has appeared! HP 710】
What I thought was a snow-covered mountain turned out to be a gigantic whale. It had camouflaged itself with a snowy surface, and instead of spouting water, it was spraying blizzards. Birds, resembling monsters, were swirling around, seemingly enjoying the snowstorm.
It was a mesmerizing sight, but I quickly sensed that many adventurers had met their end here. Just the sight of that whale sinking into the snowy ground was a threat, and with the blizzard and those birds, it was clear why this place was deemed uncharted.
“Rua-chan, should we take it down?”
“But just being there, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to attack us for now…”
【A pack of White Grizzlies has appeared! HP 3660】
From below, a pack of ferocious white bears was looking up at us. I didn’t think they would jump up to attack us, but if we approached on foot, we would have to deal with them. They seemed to be at least the strength of a Floor Monster, and even an A-Rank adventurer would struggle against them.
“Let’s ignore them. If they attack, we’ll take them down.”
“Yeah, just to be safe, I’ll take a detour around them.”
Kurinka made a wide turn to avoid the whale that was spreading the blizzard. The whale’s dry eyes turned to us, and I glared back defiantly, trying to intimidate it, but it showed no signs of fleeing. In fact, it seemed completely indifferent to our presence.
“That monster isn’t even scared of you, Rua-chan. Is it really that strong? But if there were monsters that could defeat you, the Freezing Nation would have been wiped out long ago…”
“Hmm, I’d win if we fought… wait, there you go again with the extra comments.”
【The flock of Storm Birds has attacked! Storm Bird’s attack!】
Following the flow of the blizzard, the flock of birds dove at us, their beaks poised to strike. The whale seemed relatively calm, but these birds were anything but. They didn’t flinch at our intimidation, and it was clear they were strong monsters.
“Leave it to me.”
【Kurinka unleashed her Flame Breath!
Dealt 17220 damage to the flock of Storm Birds!】
I defeated the flock of Storm Birds! HP 0/710
Kurinka incinerated the approaching Storm Birds as if it were second nature. I have to say, the power she wielded was astonishing. That entire swarm of birds was wiped out in a single breath, and I couldn’t help but think that even I wouldn’t have emerged unscathed from that inferno.
“I guess Kurinka can’t really talk about others, huh…”
“Huh?”
It was nothing, just a thought I kept to myself. I didn’t want to label Kurinka as a monster.
“I wonder if we should have taken down that whale. If we had, the others wouldn’t have suffered…”
“Oh, I suppose that’s one way to look at it…”
If there are Adventurers exploring this area in the future, it might save some lives to have dealt with it. I had never considered that before. I recalled something Weiss had once said: there are lives lost when a thief is let go, and that was essentially the same situation.
“Hmm, what should we do? If we let it go, just like the Comet Wolf Brigade, someone might get hurt.”
“But the Comet Wolf Brigade goes around indiscriminately killing, while that monster just lives here. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s their fault for coming to a place like this, and they should be prepared to die.”
“Is that so…? Kurinka, you’ve become quite extreme, haven’t you?”
“I’m not the same as I used to be!”
Was she referring to the time when we were in Ikana Village, or when we reunited in Queemil? Either way, it felt like ages ago. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe we were laughing together like this. I shouldn’t take happiness for granted; that feeling is probably important.
“I can’t see the Demon Lord Castle…”
“Hey, Shin, where is the Demon Lord Castle?”
“I’m not telling you, you idiot.”
A snarky reply came from my tool pouch. I was so irritated that I almost flipped it over and tossed it into the snow.
“Oh, wait a minute. Shin passed through this terrible place to get to us, right? It’s amazing you made it here safely.”
“Despite appearances, my body is different from yours. Humans die when their body temperature is stolen by the extreme cold, while I survive. Sadly, not all creatures are born equal.”
“I see, if you’re that amazing, you should be fine coming out of the pouch, right?”
“Mugyaa!”
Despite his bravado, he stubbornly refused to come out. He must be cold.
“Hehe… Shin-chan is… really strong, huh…”
“Kurinka? Are you okay? Your altitude is dropping…”
“I’m fine, I’m… f-fine…”
“Kurinka?!”
The flapping of her wings gradually slowed, and her head drooped closer to the snowy ground. Eventually, she landed with a loud thud, sliding across the ice. Kurinka, unable to maintain her dragon form, reverted back to her girl form and lay completely still.
“Kurinka! Hey, Kurinka!”
“Oh no, this is bad. The infamous ‘Cocytus’ of the Great Garnis Glacier.”
Shin emerged from the pouch and began to gently slap Kurinka’s cheek. I was utterly confused. All I knew was that if this continued, Kurinka would die. I was finally experiencing the terrifying cold of the Great Garnis Glacier, which could even pierce through Rainis’s Heat spell. I couldn’t use healing magic, and I had no idea what to do.
“Shin, please tell me. What should I do…?”
“Hehehe, what should I do, I wonder?”
Normally, I would be furious, but Shin was the only one I could rely on. Desperate, I pleaded with him, trying my best not to upset his mood.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Ah, the nostalgic Great Garnis Glacier.
Thinking back, I passed through here too.
I was often chased by those birds.
I’m grateful they’ve thinned out a bit.
The whale is harmless unless we provoke it.
It’s quite docile, so I’m at ease.
Still, I never thought I’d witness a couple acting lovey-dovey in such a blizzard.
I doubt I’ll ever see such a foolish couple again.
To turn even a place like this into a date spot is just too scary.
As I was thinking that, Kurinka’s condition seemed off.
Ah, it seems the one I thought would hold up the best, Kurinka, was the first to go down. Let’s see…
Maybe I should tease Rua a little.
This is payback, hehehe.
Monster Compendium
Blizzard Moby HP 27300
A massive whale said to be the lord of the Great Garnis Glacier. Its form resembles a mountain of ice, overwhelming those who behold it. It expels blizzards like a spout of water, but it bears no ill intent. It is a very docile monster, posing no threat unless provoked.
Storm Bird HP 710
Birds that fly through the blizzards created by the Blizzard Moby. They are named for their tendency to appear on stormy days. They are extremely ferocious and will bravely attack any opponent. Shin has often been chased by them.
White Grizzly HP 3660
A white bear that inhabits the Great Garnis Glacier. It possesses strength comparable to the Floor Monsters of Bears Forest, capable of biting humans’ heads off when they enter the snowy plains. Moreover, they often appear in groups, posing a risk of annihilation even to A-Rank Adventurer parties.