15. Snow Moon Flower – 08
The journey to the Duchy of Estel to subdue the ‘Witch of Winter’ had already passed half a year.
A woman named Ariel Thiers realized the essence of a man named Cain von Estel during the journey, which could be said to be short if short and long if long.
At first, I thought he was an insignificant man, just a burden. I thought he was just an idiot who wanted to cling to the false rumor that he had subdued witches without even knowing his own merits. I thought I was nothing more than a clown who didn’t even know what he was trying to do.
…but it wasn’t. Over the past half year, Ariel has become interested in a person named Cain due to a certain ‘trigger’. That’s why she had many conversations with a man named Cain von Estel, shared a lot of time together, and as a result, she was able to understand a little bit of what he was like.
He was a weak person. He considered it his responsibility for the unending winter brought by the ‘witch of winter’, just because the witch had appeared in his territory. In reality, he did nothing wrong, but he always seemed to be in debt and was a weakling who considered himself a sinner.
he was a stupid person He was the most incompetent and weakest member of the expedition. It was unknown until why he became a member of the expedition, but there was no one who did not know that even if he was not in the expedition, there would be no obstacle to dealing with the ‘witch of winter’.
But he wasn’t deterred. Knowing that he was lacking and knowing where his limits were, he did not sit back and avert his eyes from reality, but approached the princess and asked for training in swordsmanship. Even if it was weak, he wanted to help himself, and he wanted to help subjugate the ‘witch of winter’.
And unfortunately, he was also a person who didn’t have much talent with a sword. He swung his sword without a break in his spare time, but he didn’t make much progress, and while receiving training from the princess, his muscles ruptured and his bones twisted frequently, and at times he missed the sword and rolled on the floor ugly.
Ariel was also a person who practiced martial arts, so she knew it well. Cain’s appearance like that must have been a useless effort. No matter how much effort he puts in at this moment, no matter how much sweat he puts in, it is certain that in the end it will go back to nothing.
Because Cain von Estel has no talent. No matter how much effort he puts in, no matter how many times he wields his sword, he doesn’t have the talent to advance to a higher level. In fact, despite being trained daily by the princess for the past half year, he hadn’t gotten very strong. And in the future, wishing him to become stronger must be a long way off.
However, he was also a fool. Even though he knew full well that his efforts would not be rewarded, he did not let go of his sword until the end. No matter how painful, no matter how hurt, no matter how hard he struggled, he never gave up.
As usual, after training with the princess, Ariel asked a question in a low tone as he healed the man who was panting as his whole body was broken. Why are you doing such meaningless things? Why are you doing such stupid things? What is the reason for not giving up until the end?
“Because I also want to help this expedition. It may be a very weak force, but I want to help even me like this.”
“…that’s impossible. From now on, there is only half a year left before reaching the ‘winter witch’. It’s just a dream come true that in such a short amount of time, you’ll become strong enough to help us.”
“Well, maybe.”
The foolish man laughed loudly at her worrying words and answered her like this.
“But even if it means nothing, wouldn’t it be much better to make a futile effort than to give up everything from the start and sit on the floor?”
“I think disappointment is a privilege that can only be felt by those who, after putting in endless effort, didn’t achieve it in the end.”
Saying that, he gets up again like an ottogi. With his bloody hand, his grip was torn, he grabbed the sword that had fallen to the ground once more. As she tried to calm her wobbly legs, the foolish image of raising her sword at the princess was captured in her eyes.
stupid. It is pointless. Seeing his shabby and unsightly appearance, she secretly laughed inwardly. No, I felt like I was angry for some reason. Even though he knew full well that he would never be able to do it, the foolish figure of struggling until the end seemed so ugly that it seemed like his annoyance soared.
…But that was for a while, and before she knew it, she too was watching him training swordsmanship with the princess, blankly every day. He realized that instead of Bianca, he was treating his body, caressing his wounds, showing concern for him.
And before he knew it, Ariel realized that he was rooting for him without even knowing it. In the ridicule of giving up now, there was a self who cried out deep in his heart to not give up, to stand up, to stand up again even if his knees were bent.
Why? Why couldn’t she take her eyes off that foolish, stupid man? At first, I just thought he was an incompetent and useless man, but since when did that man start occupying a space in his heart?
“…Bianca del Castana…”
Yeah, come to think of it, it was definitely from that time. Ever since he heard such a story from Bianca del Castana, Ariel Thiers eyes had been chasing the figure of Cain von Estel.
Because I wanted to know. Because I was very curious about what kind of person he was. It wasn’t enough that he had completely stolen the heart of that arrogant and great Bianca del Castana, she couldn’t contain her curiosity about what kind of man the man she had promised to love throughout her life was, so she followed Cain’s path all the time.
As a result, Ariel also followed his back with both eyes without realizing it.
Why? Why on earth did he care so much about Cain von Estel? If he gets injured, why do you feel the pain as if you were also injured? Why are you thinking of him even at this moment?
I hope he-
“…..”
It can’t be. He and he have nothing to do with each other. It’s not a relationship that mixes proper words, and it’s not a relationship that makes a good friend. There is no point of contact between him and himself except that he belongs to an expedition to subdue the ‘witch of winter’ and that he heals him when he is injured.
From being accepted into the Empire at a young age to this moment, she has never been close to a man, but even that she knows something. That in order for a man and a woman to reach a deep relationship, they need a reasonable motive.
There is nothing to go far. Even if it’s Bianca del Castana over there, isn’t she connected to him through the medium of childhood memories with Cain von Estel?
But what about you? He and he are not related in any way, and are not related in any way. It took at most half a year for what could be called a friendship to form between him and himself. If she insisted that ‘relationships’ were built up in such a short amount of time, people from all over the world would surely laugh at her.
Yes, he never saw Cain von Estel as a man. This feeling is nothing more than sympathy for that stupid man, and ridicule for that stupid man. A woman named Ariel Thiers definitely did not harbor any feelings towards Cain von Estel.
But why is his mind so confused? When I see him with another woman, my heart seems to boil for some reason, and whenever I heal his wounds, my heart calms down quickly when he says thank you. Did the days become so many?
Why did he come to have meaningless imaginations like what would his current relationship be like if he had met him as a child instead of Bianca del Castana?
…However, it was all meaningless imagination, and it was a family that should not be dreamed of.
The current self has work to do. There were a lot of tears and a lot of pain. Ariel Thiers had been grinding and polishing herself for 20 years in order not to repeat the hell she had to go through.
Forgetting what she had to do because she was distracted by at least one man was tantamount to betraying everything she had believed in until now.
Also, wasn’t Cain von Estel the man Bianca del Castana had been in love with for 20 years? A woman who has loved and cherished him before he does is openly next to him, and wouldn’t it be a betrayal of her to have an outrageous imagination about him?
Of course, there was never a relationship between Ariel Thier and Bianca del Castana that deserves the use of the expression ‘betrayal’ in the first place. But is it really right for Ariel Thiers, who is called a ‘saint’ in the world, to steal a man whom another woman has a crush on?
…it was dizzy. Why is it that he is thinking such useless thoughts? Rather than concluding that everything is futile, does it mean that we continue to think meaninglessly as if biting tail after tail?
In this way, time passes meaninglessly without even knowing one’s own intentions.
A woman named Ariel Thiers was a coward, and in the end, another half a year passed meaninglessly without being able to do this or that.
And the expedition arrived. A place where snowstorms rage more fiercely than anywhere else on the continent. beginning of everything. To the Duchy of Estel, where the “witch of winter” resides.
“…..”
In the end, Ariel Thiers stepped into the Duchy of Estel without deciding what kind of feelings she had and what kind of actions she should take.
It was decided that the decisive battle against the “witch of winter” would be held tomorrow. Since everyone in the party had lost a lot of stamina from fighting through a snowstorm, they decided that there was no need to fight.
On that night, which was probably the last of the trip, Ariel Thiers quietly sat down next to Cain, who was sitting in front of a campfire, as if spilled on something.
During the one year it took to reach the Duchy of Estel from Islands.
In the end, he failed to rise to the level of Master.
In the past year, despite shedding so much sweat and putting so much effort into it.
In the end, everything he did turned out to be worthless.
Whether he knew it or not, Cain’s expression in front of the bonfire was extremely calm.
“Kain, would it be all right if we could talk for a moment?”
“…Ah, saintess.”
Cain, who had been rummaging around the bonfire for no reason, moved quietly to the side as soon as he saw Ariel. At the signal to sit next to her, Ariel sat down without hesitation.
“What are you trying to talk to me about? Tomorrow is the final battle, so wouldn’t it be better to go to bed early to adjust your condition?”
Outwardly, Cain just maintained a calm expression. Even though he was well aware that the results of his sweat and blood effort over the past year had changed meaninglessly, Cain’s expression remained the same as usual.
…And now, Ariel was trying to inflict a huge wound on Cain’s heart.
“In preparation for tomorrow’s battle, I’d like to give you one piece of advice.”
“…advice, do you mean it?”
To Cain, who tilts his head at him, Ariel spits out the words that can break his heart most effectively.
“Cain, even though you worked so hard for a year, you couldn’t reach the level of Master in the end. In other words, it means that even the minimum conditions to compete with the ‘witch of winter’ have not been achieved.”
“…I know.”
At that moment, Cain’s expression hardened. Ariel’s heart naturally weakened at the sight of her being somehow bitter and painful.
However, since this is something that someone has to say, Ariel grits her teeth and puts on a cold expression as much as possible.
“In other words, you have no right to be involved in tomorrow’s battle. So, if a battle breaks out tomorrow, don’t even think about interfering. If we intervene at your level, there is a greater chance that not only will we be killed by dogs, but we will also be caught by our ankles.”
…That was a harsh word. Over the past year, Cain has put in countless efforts to be of any help to the expedition. He has swung his sword countless times, and has shed countless drops of sweat. And the effort he had put in during that time, Ariel had concluded with just one word that it was ‘worthless’.
Those really harsh words that hurt others.
However, at Ariel’s words, Cain rather smiled and agreed.
“Holy Lady, I know my fountain too. I know very well that a guy like me will only hinder, not help, tomorrow’s battle. No, it is also that there is a greater chance of being killed by a dog if you install it without knowing the fountain. Fortunately, I’m just a coward, so I’ll hide in a corner somewhere and secretly watch you guys fight. Even if something happens, my life will not be in danger because I am confident in running away.”
Saying so, Cain thanks Ariel. To be honest, I was afraid of battles, so I had no intention of participating. On the contrary, he even laughed loudly, saying that it was a better thing because he was given an opportunity to safely preserve his own life.
“So don’t worry. My life is the most precious thing in the world, and I had no intention of sacrificing it for someone else from the beginning.”
It seems that that was the last conversation between Cain and Ariel that night.
And the next day, the expedition collided with the ‘Witch of Winter’.
After a fierce battle, they were able to subdue the witch.
Unfortunately, one person died in the course of the battle.
The name of the deceased was Cain von Estel.
In exchange for saving Ariel Thiers, who was in danger for a moment, he died in her place.