Chapter 133: Unseasonable Winter (3)
“Do you know about the Winter Witch?”
“…What?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. The moment he heard the words ‘Winter Witch,’ the scattered fragments of memories in his mind instantly connected. The untimely snowstorm and the Snow Beast. A frozen world.
It felt like a sneeze that had been on the verge of coming out erupted. Shullifen raised an eyebrow.
“I guess you wouldn’t. It happened just last year.”
Stunned, Ronan stood there speechless. It seemed that during his two-year slumber, he had lost touch with reality.
Ronan had already experienced the winter caused by the Winter Witch once.
“Is the Winter Witch… by any chance named Evelyn or Evelin?”
“Evelin Droza. What, did you know about her?”
Ronan twisted his lips. It was the same person, but something was terribly wrong. It wasn’t yet the time for the Winter Witch to appear.
‘Too soon.’
In his past life, the Winter Witch appeared during the time when Ronan was still in the Punishment Squad. At least several more years should have passed before her arrival for things to be normal.
He couldn’t have been wrong about this time. After his regression, it was one of the most crucial problems he had to solve. Shullifen nodded in agreement.
“You’re right. Something happened just three months after Evelin enrolled into Philleon.”
“Damn it, she enrolled last year?”
Ronan cursed. If she had enrolled last year, she would’ve been nothing more than a young girl, even if one exaggerated her age. Clearly, things were vastly different from what he remembered.
“She did. She was the top newcomer in the Magic Department. She even defeated Lady Acalusia during the enrollment ceremony. Everything seemed fine until…”
Shullifen paused. Even though he mentioned Elizabeth’s defeat, Ronan showed no particular reaction.
She was facing the Winter Witch, after all. She was considered one of the worst criminals since the beginning of the Empire’s history.
“Evelin suddenly went berserk one day. She imprisoned three buildings of the Magic Department in ice and fled. It started snowing endlessly from that night onwards.”
Shullifen explained that after summoning the winter to the Institute, she went into hiding. Although there was a difference in the fact that she committed a crime while she was a student at Philleon, her actions were similar in some ways to her past life.
“What a bitch.”
Suddenly, memories of the Winter Witch from his past life flashed through Ronan’s mind. Despite the short duration, the gravity of the situation was immeasurable. At least the citizens now had the freedom to leave the Institute.
‘She was a literal disaster.’
At that time, the citizens were trapped within the islands, unable to leave, facing the choice of either starvation or death. The witch’s heinous crimes were beyond vicious. She knew precisely how to wield her powers in the most evil ways.
‘Why did she do such a thing?’
The motive for her crimes remained unknown. The witch’s sudden madness began with burying the major trade routes of the Empire, including the Romaira Range, under ice.
The Empire took immediate action. They mobilized the Imperial Army and invited renowned flame mages from the Dawn Magic Tower.
However, the witch’s power was beyond imagination. No conventional methods could melt or break the ice, and even if destroyed, it reformed. She turned the Romaira Range into her fortress, sealing the area off.
Those stranded by her froze to death in the snow. Fierce Snow Beasts and Frost Spirits rampaged within the blizzard.
After about a month, famine struck the once-prosperous Empire. The Winter Witch’s secluded siege continued for over three months.
‘Things are certainly better now than back then, but…’
The Witch at the time died at the hands of Shullifen. After numerous attempts, the young swordsman managed to thrust a wind blade into her chest. The decisive battle in the stormy mountains was talked about until the day the giants came down.
The Witch, pierced through the heart, exploded into shards of ice. Ronan still remembered the sound of the gigantic millennium snow collapsing.
‘History has changed. But why?’
Even without knowing the reason, it was evident that something strange had occurred. A substantial change, indeed. Trying to shake off his memories, Ronan spoke up.
“Where is the Witch now?”
“You’re well aware of that place. Rodolan, the Fortress of Screams.”
“What?”
Ronan furrowed his brow. This was an unexpected location. If the Witch was in Rodolan, it meant she had been captured.
“It didn’t take long to secure the Witch’s imprisonment.”
Indeed, Shullifen explained that they caught the Witch within ten days after she went into seclusion. Ronan raised his brow in response.
“Then why is this happening?”
“The problem arose after her capture. No matter what we tried, we couldn’t break through that shell.”
“That shell?”
“That’s right… That’s why all the continent’s mages and scholars have gathered at the continent.”
Shullifen continued explaining. When they found the Witch deep within a cave, her body was trapped inside a thick block of ice.
“Count powerful individuals were mobilized. The Dawn Mage Tower Lord, Aun Philara, the leader of the Imperial Knights, Sir Garud, and even the Sword Saint Zaifa came looking for her, but they were unable to destroy the thick block of ice surrounding her body.”
“Thick block of ice…?”
Suddenly, a certain image flashed through his mind. It resembled the impression left by the crystal that had enveloped him when he woke up. The crystal, seemingly indestructible, shattered frighteningly when he touched it.
‘Mine wasn’t ice, but perhaps…’
It was an utterly baseless deduction, yet it felt like there might be some connection. Rodothan. Ronan, lost in thought, glanced out of the window. Students bundled up in fur coats roamed the campus in the chilling cold.
‘This is crazy.’
Ronan twisted his lips. Undoubtedly, this was a problem that needed to be addressed.
Spring was supposed to be a season for basking in warm sunlight and the fragrance of flowers. The time to shiver in the cold while wearing a dumb fur hat was reserved for winter.
“Thanks for letting me know. There’s all sorts of shit going on.”
“Nevertheless, it seems it’ll be resolved soon. Navardose had agreed to a deal with the Emperor, so someone from their tribe will likely come to melt the ice.”
If it was Navardose’s tribe, it meant a Red Dragon. If even the hottest fire on land couldn’t melt the ice, it was truly a hopeless situation.
“Anyway, when you have time, visit Rodolan. You have a talent for cutting things that others can’t, so you might be able to break that ice too. That’s what I wanted to discuss.”
Shullifen concluded the conversation. Thud! Thud! Suddenly, the sound of knocking echoed from downstairs. Ronan and Shullifen exchanged glances as Ronan shrugged.
“Must be Sunbae. I called her.”
Ronan rushed downstairs to open the door. However, the one waiting wasn’t Adeshan. His eyes widened at the familiar faces.
“You guys…”
The first thing that caught his attention was Aselle’s fiery red hair. Then came Marya’s enlarged breasts, then Braum’s messy beard, and finally, Ophelia’s surprisingly unchanged face.
“Ro-Ronan…! You really came back…!”
“Aselle.”
Aselle spoke with a trembling voice. Despite the two years that had passed, he hadn’t grown much in height. Ronan frowned as he noticed Aselle’s hair, which had overgrown, tied back.
His eyelashes seemed almost as thick as Adeshan’s, making him appear more like a girl. Marya, standing behind him, slowly approached.
“Ha, really. How did you grow so much?”
Marya chuckled lightly. The rich blonde hair that used to resemble a lion’s mane had transformed into a short bob, revealing a well-built body even under the thick fur coat.
As she walked around Ronan and measured his height, she suddenly lowered her head. Beneath the low-hanging hair, her real voice flowed out.
“Thank goodness…”
Ronan let out a soft sigh. With just that word, one could sense how much she had worried. Ronan reached out and patted Aselle and Marya on the shoulders. Braum and Ophelia also each made a comment.
“Ahahaha! Ronan, you’ve become a true warrior! Is it really you, the person who did nothing and was locked up?”
“You’ve become more of an adult…”
Braum’s eyes were also reddened. Ophelia’s pale face carried a somewhat hard-to-spot smile. Whoosh! At that moment, something fluttered in through the crack in the door. Ronan smirked.
“Cita.”
“Bweeehh!”
Cita, with four wings spread, landed on Ronan’s shoulder. The soft feathers tickled his nose. Suddenly, Ronan felt something strange and furrowed his brow.
“But, why did you grow so much? Did my sister feed you too well?”
“Bweeh~”
“Damn it, you might even eat people.”
Cita’s size was almost like that of a large dog. It wasn’t a joke; the wingspan was probably close to 3 meters. Surprisingly, there was no noticeable change in weight.
Ronan let Cita be until she seemed satisfied. Iril’s voice came from her kitchen, telling him that the meal was ready.
Ronan looked at each of them one by one. Hundreds of words he wanted to say were lingering in his throat. He finally opened his mouth.
“How have you all been?”
****
Ronan left the house after finishing five servings of the stew. Having been starved for two years, his sister’s cooking melted on his taste buds.
He walked around the campus with the club members. The evening snowfall made everything look serene. It was easier to talk thanks to the snowstorm that had subsided.
“Damn, Senior Adeshan is the Student CouncilPresident?”
“Yes. She was elected by a landslide last year. She used to visit our club often, but it’s been hard to see her since then.”
Ronan chuckled bitterly. They mentioned something about the student council earlier, but he didn’t realize Adeshan was the president. Marya continued.
“I know how it is since I also handle accounting. She really does her job well. It’s amazing to see someone so meticulous in the world.”
Adeshan was evaluated as an almost perfect Student Council President in every aspect. It seemed like it was only yesterday when she was being ostracized in Navirose’s class, but she had made remarkable progress. Marya expressed her regret.
“It’s a pity. If it weren’t for the Winter Witch, she would’ve been able to unleash her strength even further…”
It was true. With the onset of winter caused by the Winter Witch, Philaeon Academy was facing unprecedented challenges.
Just by looking at the halved number of new students, it was evident. Ronan, while chatting with them, arrived at the main plaza and bid them farewell. Aselle stuttered.
“Uh, see you later, Ronan. You remember the location, right?”
“Of course, dude.. Who do you think I am, a monkey?”
He had arranged to meet them later after finishing urgent matters at the new club building. Marya teased.
“You’ll be surprised when you see it. You better prepare a change of underwear.”
“You’ve been bragging for two years. I’ll see if it’s anything special when we meet later.”
He wondered what Kratir had built to make such a commotion. Leaving the group, he headed to the Gallerion Hall, the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department. The gray castle, which he hadn’t seen in a long time, was covered in pure white snow.
“Well… it’s a good chance to say hello.”
After mumbling to himself, he approached Navirose’s quarters.
It was to say hello and ask her for advice on his visit to Rodolan. She was disappointed when Ronan didn’t visit her before leaving for vacation, and if he overlooked it this time as well, he might really get dragged out by the ears.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, the Gallerion Hall was empty. Shortly after changing direction, a familiar door appeared. The giant double door, reaching the ceiling, had the words “Arena 1” engraved in large letters.
Thududu… The door opened with a sound like rolling rocks. Surprisingly, the lights were on.
The woman meditating in the center of the arena caught Ronan’s eye. Olive-green uniform on bronze skin. It was Navirose, Ronan’s instructor in the martial arts.
“Instructor Navirose.”
The Great Secret Sword, Ursa, was lying next to her. Ronan greeted her warmly, but there was no response. Only when he got very close did Navirose finally turn her head.
‘What?’
However, her condition didn’t look very good. Cold sweat was running down her temples. There were dark shadows beneath her closed eyelids.
As she finally opened her eyes, she gasped.
“Ugh! Huff, huff!”
She seemed like someone who had just woken up from a nightmare. In a daze, she stared at the floor. It felt like she was burning with resentment against something. Ronan, who was waiting next to her, held out a water pouch.
“Dammit, are you okay?”
“…Ronan?”
Only then did Navirose turn her head. Ronan frowned as he faced her.
The atmosphere around her was noticeably different from two years ago. The strong aura still remained, but the characteristic composure had disappeared.
Suddenly, Adeshan’s words that something had happened to Navirose flashed in his mind. Navirose took the water pouch and took a gulp of water.
“Hah… When did you return?”
“Today. Instructor, your complexion doesn’t look good.”
“It’s just my mood. I’m glad you came back safely.”
Navirose spoke calmly. He could see in her eyes that she was making an effort to act calm. She raised a brow as she looked at Ronan up and down.
“…You’ve become stronger.”
Ronan neither affirmed nor denied. Nabirose emptied the water pouch in an instant and threw it away. She slowly raised her body and picked up her sword.
“…Ronan. Take out your sword.”
“What…?”
Ronan was taken aback at her sudden request. Her voice was serious, it did not sound like she was joking. Navirose wiped her mouth with her sleeve and unsheathed her sword.
“Have a spar with me.”
