32 – Frozen Village, Cold Heart(1)
The forest covered in snow was frozen white.
Snow fell endlessly from the dark clouds that obscured the sun.
The snow fluttering in the air colored the soil, grass, trees, and ponds white.
The snow piled up on the bare branches collapsed in the cool frost breeze.
The snow piled up on the roadside has thickened.
It is a cold winter landscape.
Even animals and monsters could not be seen around the area where the warmth had disappeared.
The wagon was moving non-stop through the snow where no one had passed.
“Ha…”
It has been three days since I left the capital.
On the way to Nostel Snow Mountain, I was lucky enough to rent a carriage from a hawker.
I didn’t pay any money, but instead protected it from demons and robbers.
This does not mean that the transfer to Nostal Snow Mountain has become a comfortable journey.
A cold wind blew into the carriage.
The inside of the carriage shook with a vicious sound.
The robes you were wearing were tightly clasped together.
A chilly breeze broke through the thick blanket.
“Kyla. Come closer.”
“I’m sorry…”
Kyla’s body was shaking uncontrollably.
When she covered her with a blanket and hugged her, her chill was transmitted.
She has been like this since yesterday.
She found out later that Yongin was weak against the cold.
She never said that she was cold, though.
Her hand, which she accidentally grabbed, was as cold as ice, so she could see it.
You could catch a cold or frostbite.
Before starting the quest, there could be no injuries.
She hurriedly tried to give her a blanket, but she refused. She
She said that she was strong in her body and she gave me her blanket.
In the end, me and Kyla were blanketed together.
They endured the cold with their arms crossed and their bodies facing each other.
“Are you okay? Is there any pain anywhere?”
“Yes. Still, I’m fine…”
A small flame erupted from Kyla’s fingertips.
This was the limit because if she increased her size, the carriage could catch fire.
I barely survived the cold by relying on a small flame.
Likewise, her opposite arm was also held.
A person entered the blanket with a bustling movement.
“I’m cold too!”
Erina also came to my side.
But unlike Kyla, she did not feel the chill.
She had a warmer warmth than me.
Unlike Kyla, her body did not tremble or her hands were cold.
‘There must be a skill to resist abnormal status.’
Erina couldn’t stand the cold.
Not only cold, but also poison, burns, bleeding, and paralysis. All had tolerance.
No matter how good she lied to her, she couldn’t hide this much.
Not even a breath came out of her mouth.
Probably because she’s with Kyla, she’s jealous.
But she didn’t hit her blindly.
She pulled Erina’s body with her other hand.
“hehehe…”
Erina hugged my body with a pleasant smile.
It was definitely warm with the three of us covered in blankets.
The soft skin texture and the sweet scent that brushed the nose came out.
I was able to forget the cold for a while.
“It will probably arrive soon. Let’s wait a little longer.”
The area selected for the expedition quest. Nostalgic Snow Mountain is literally the rugged mountainous region of the north.
Among them, the destination we are going to is Rotten Village. It is the only village in the Nostalgic Snow Mountains.
It was practically an abandoned place in the capital because of the inclement weather and rough terrain.
“When I arrive, I will stop by the quest office and receive the quest. Let’s get a room at the inn and melt the cold.”
For now, I decided that the first thing to do is to warm up and not overdo it.
The condition was close to the worst due to the extreme cold.
In particular, Kyla couldn’t do anything in her current state.
Even in this situation, Erina calmly embraced me and groaned.
Unlike Kyla, who is shivering in the cold, and me, who has a headache in many ways, she looks carefree.
Lightly slapped her on the head in her wretched heart.
Then she was startled and she began to cry.
“Hey, did I do something wrong…?!”
She thought she was going to show a good clinging figure as before.
But contrary to what she expected, she caused the fight while she was frightened.
She was still trembling and looking into my eyes.
I didn’t know that I would overreact to such an act as a joke.
I apologized to her in a hurry.
“I’m sorry. It’s not a big deal.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay! If you want to hit, you can hit as much as you want. It’s okay for no reason…”
If anyone hears it, I don’t think they’ll think of me as trash in the world. I didn’t want to be remembered as a man who beat up women.
When did Erina lose her peace of mind?
The clinging or overly friendly parts were the same as before.
However, if I showed any sign of displeasure, I was often embarrassed and apologised.
It is still the same.
He came up to me and looked at me even when he was held in my arms.
“Erina.”
“Yes, yes…?!”
Even just calling her name, Erina was startled.
I could see that she was skeptical about whether she would be scolded.
She gently stroked her hair. Immediately, her shoulders relaxed and her expression melted.
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“Of course you made a big mistake, but it’s already gone.”
“…”
“I still believe in you. Don’t forget the promise you made with me.”
“…I will never forget it.”
Fortunately, the sullen expression on her face is back. It was far better than her gloomy or restless look.
After some time passed, the carriage finally stopped.
Looking around through her window, a sign of the village had been erected in front of her.
‘Roton Village’
I finally reached my destination.
“We’ve arrived. Let’s all get off.”
Kyla got up with her robes tight at my words.
Erina also got her long sword and pockets and came down from her carriage.
Frost flew with the cold wind.
Fortunately, the snow stopped for a while, but the dark clouds in the sky were still there.
“You have arrived at Rotten Village. Adventurer.”
I exchanged handshakes with the vendors I was indebted to.
She said that she worked hard during this time.
“If we ever meet in the future, we will treat you with great hospitality.”
After saying that, the vendors packed various things from their luggage.
Some money and emergency food.
And I was able to receive the blanket I had borrowed so far.
It is a yard where even a penny is not enough.
I received it without hesitation with a grateful heart.
Unfortunately, the vendors said they had no reason to stop at Rotten Village.
He said it was a short-lived road for us.
“I’ll see you later if I have a chance.”
“Thank you. Be careful.”
After many thanksgivings, we parted with the vendor.
“Thanks to you, I arrived comfortably.”
“Everyone was kind. I’m glad.”
Kyla looked at them with a surprisingly bitter look.
I heard that you were almost sold as a slave to a merchant before.
Maybe he remembers that time.
Of course, there were many evil people in the world.
As the world neared destruction, people became blind to personal interests.
However, there are always people with a good heart.
“There are no bad people in the world.”
The same goes for vendors.
Repaying us for helping us even in a difficult world to survive.
Surely, there were people who lived without forgetting grace even in difficult circumstances.
“Yes. But,”
For a moment, Kyla picked up her horse, then came to my side and took her hand.
“The only person who accepted the fact that I was Yongin was Seohyun-nim.”
If the vendors had known that Kyla was Yongin, would she have done her favor?
No one knows. But she has always endured persecution and neglect.
And the only person who didn’t come out of that expectation was me.
She could understand a little bit why Kyla had asked me to let her become a warrior.
“Anyway, we’ve arrived in town, so let’s go inside quickly. It’s going to snow again.”
As Erina said.
I looked up at the sky and it was full of dark clouds.
He hurried to the entrance of the village.
The town of Rotten was weaker than I expected.
A barrier that is likely to collapse at any moment.
There were no guards to protect the village.
Even in a rural area, I wondered if it was too defenseless.
“Ah! Here it is! Here!”
A lively voice came from beyond the entrance.
Over the fence a little girl was screaming at her and waving her hand.
Short blonde hair and round eyes were shining black.
He was very short. Compared to me, would it only reach my chest?
She had a very soft voice and a youthful appearance.
Even though it was a windy area, she seemed to have forgotten the cold and greeted us with a smile.
“Are you adventurers from the capital? I heard that you are very talented!”
The girl held out her hand with her hearty smile. As she accepted the handshake, she waved her hand with a bustling hand.
“My name is Colin! I’m the commissioner of the commissioning office in this town!”
Your child is such a small child.
In most cases, a veteran adventurer or an experienced receptionist went up to the commander-in-chief.
But Colin was only now an adult, and she looked young enough to think.
“Come on. Give her your hand!”
She asked to shake hands not only with me but also Erina and Kyla.
But the two were not in a situation to shake hands.
Kyla was shivering from the cold. She hid behind me and patted her hand.
I stopped shaking hands in case you were caught.
And Erina,
“You.”
“Yes?”
“I’m pretending to be friendly just because I saw you.”
She looked at Celine and frowned.
She turned into a threatening attitude, staring at her suspiciously.
When her mood suddenly changed, Colin was startled and she quickly removed her hand.
Her smile froze with a bewildered expression.
“Erina.”
“… “
Fortunately, Erina stopped being wary of my voice.
But it was only natural that her first impression was ruined.
“Ahahahaha… Did I make too much noise… ?”
In an unusual atmosphere, Colin smiled awkwardly.
She has just arrived in town, and she’s already showing me this.
I had a feeling that this quest would not be easy.