Chapter 139: Come, Spring (4)
Ice shards scattered in all directions. The trapped witch’s body slumped forward. Ronan gritted his teeth as he caught her in his arms.
“Ugh, it’s damn freezing.”
It felt as if he was hugging a block of ice while naked. Even the thick coat couldn’t completely shield him from the cold emanating from her body. Ronan raised an eyebrow as he looked at the witch’s face.
‘She looks ordinary on the outside.’
Evelin wore a robe similar to what Aselle had on. A yellow badge on the sleeve symbolized her status as a newcomer to the Philleon Academy’s Magic Department.
Whether it was because she hadn’t fully grown up yet, she felt quite different from the witch Ronan had encountered in his previous life. She just seemed like a cute girl, and if it weren’t for the freezing cold emanating from her or her pure white hair, she would’ve been a face that captivated all the male students at Philleon.
“Hey, snap out of it.”
Ronan shook the witch’s shoulders, but there was no response. Her small head dangled weakly, like an accessory attached to her body. Suddenly, a foreboding feeling crossed Ronan’s mind.
‘…Is she dead?’
Ronan hastily brought his index finger under the witch’s nose. Fortunately, he felt a faint breath, but her condition didn’t seem promising. Her body also appeared pale and lifeless, but thankfully there were no visible injuries.
“Damn, I have a lot to ask you.”
However, seeing as she remained unconscious, it was difficult to say that her condition was good. After muttering a curse, Ronan took off his coat and placed it on the witch.
“Ugh… fuck.”
Thanks to Intargand raising the temperature with his tantrum, things weren’t as dire as they could have been. Otherwise, his ribs might have frozen. While buttoning up the coat, Ronan heard Elizabeth’s voice from behind.
“Ronan-Nim…?”
Only then did he realize the silence around him. Ronan turned his head. Everyone, including Elizabeth, stood still, as if rooted to the floor.
Intargand, too, stared at the scattered ice fragments on the ground, his gaze fixed. Silence lingered for about thirty seconds. Then, the interrogator who had guided him jumped up and shouted.
“Uh, uh, the ice is broken!”
The exaggerated voices echoed in the empty space. Only after that did people start talking, expressing awe at the miracle they had witnessed.
“Th-the witch’s shell has been broken!”
“Unbelievable, did he really cut it with that sword?!”
“I-I didn’t see it either!”
They began discussing the miraculous event with various exclamations. Perhaps the fear of the witch kept them from approaching too quickly. Elizabeth slowly approached and came to a stop in front of the witch.
“…Evelin.”
Elizabethsmoothed the wound on her neck. Judging by the fact that she was constantly chewing her lips, her emotions seemed to be complicated. After taking several deep breaths, she spoke.
“I didn’t see anything. What did you do?”
“I merely split it with my sword.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“…Even after two years, you’re still the same.”
Elizabeth sighed as if she was fed up with everything. This was reminiscent of their time at the Dawn Magic Tower. Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from the other side of the corridor.
Ronan turned his head, and six people wearing bird masks rushed towards them. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be interrogators like Karaka.
“…Oh my goodness. The report was true.”
The interrogators scattered in various directions, each engaging in their tasks. Some picked up ice fragments and put them in boxes, while others scribbled something fervently in notebooks.
The interrogator with a mask shaped like an owl approached Ronan. It was an impressive representation of an owl’s head. He looked back and forth between Ronan and the witch before opening his mouth.
“I’m Special interrogator Ahza. Are you the one who broke the shell?”
“Yes.”
Ronan nodded nonchalantly. The owl-masked interrogator looked surprised for a moment, before asking another question.
“What is your name and affiliation?”
“I’m Ronan from Philleon Academy.”
“I see. Ronan, you’ve done a great job. We just received a message from the capital.”
“What happened?”
“They say it has stopped snowing.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected the news of the snow stopping to come so soon.
As interrogator Ahza explained the upcoming procedures and the expected rewards, Ronan found himself laughing incredulously. The scale of the reward exceeded his imagination. Ahza expressed his gratitude once again and continued.
Once the briefing was over, Ahza mentioned that there might be a contact from the Emperor soon.
“You will probably hear from the Imperial Palace soon. You may wait with peace of mind.”
“…Meeting the Emperor?”
“As the hero who saved the island from the endless winter, it’s only natural. Excluding everything else, the Emperor may even ask you to share a meal with him..”
Ronan chuckled, finding it hard to believe. Throughout both his lives, he had never personally seen the Emperor. After conveying all the information, Ahza retrieved a black rope from his waist.
“Well then, may I step aside for a moment? I’ll arrest the Winter Witch.”
“Oh, just a moment.”
“Why?”
“I want to ask her something personally. She needs to regain consciousness first, and it seems like she’s not in a good condition. Can you wait a bit?”
Ahza’s face stiffened. After staying still for about five seconds, he opened his mouth.
“..That’ll be troublesome. Evelin Droza’s status is that of an extreme danger level prisoner. We can’t afford to leave a potential criminal unguarded.”
“Is there no way?”
“I apologize.”
Ahja shook his head. The stern tone conveyed that no matter what, it would be impossible.
He wasn’t exactly wrong, but his explanation was vague. Just as Ronan was just wondering how to convince him. Karaka, who had caught up, intervened.
“Hehe, don’t be so rigid. Let him have a chat. It’s not like anything major will happen.”
“Interrogator Karaka…”
“He’s the hero who saved the Empire, isn’t he? Is there anything wrong with compiling with a simple request?”
“Uhmmm… Still…”
“If anything happens, I will take responsibility. As a fellow Interrogator, I request this of you.”
Ahza sighed. The attention of the other Interrogators who were in the midst of gathering information was focused on the two of them.
Karaka seemed to be a fairly high-ranking Interrogator. After thinking for a while, Ahza nodded.
“…Alright. I trust you, Special interrogator Karaka.”
“Haha, don’t worry.”
“Please make it quick. I’ll go first and wait.”
Ahza shook his head and turned his back. After completing the data collection, the Interrogators left Judica. Karaka, who was looking at the departing Interrogators, winked toward Ronan.
‘This old man.’
Ronan chuckled without realizing it. Perhaps this was the best Karaka could do for him. Ronan gave him a similar wink and lifted the witch into his arms.
“We should lay her down for now, right?”
“That sounds good. Just a little further up, there’s an office room we can go to.”
“Okay. Let’s go there.”
Since she was unconscious, there was no choice but to carry her in his arms. Perhaps because she was wrapped in an outer layer, her body felt much warmer than before. Ronan suddenly noticed something unusual and raised his eyebrows.
“Hmm?”
Swaaah… the witch’s hair color was changing. The pure white hair was gradually transforming from the roots into a healthy brown shade. Ronan’s forehead creased slightly.
“What’s happening? Why the sudden change?”
It felt as if the snow was melting and the soil buried beneath it was being revealed. Was it some kind of curse being lifted? At that moment, Elizabeth’s voice came from not too far away.
“Aselle, what’s wrong?”
“Hmm?”
Ronan turned his head. He noticed Aselle standing still and Elizabeth clapping her hands in front of him. Now that he thought about it, Aselle was nowhere to be seen in the chaos earlier.
“Are you okay? Aselle!”
Despite Elizabeth’s attempts, Aselle didn’t react. His eyes stared blankly into space without focus. Ronan furrowed his brow.
“Aselle?”
****
“…Huff!”
Aselle opened his eyes. It was a bewildering sensation. He felt like he had already been awake. His blurry vision cleared, revealing Elizabeth’s face leaning close to him.
“Hyaaa?!”
Aselle jolted back in shock. Elizabeth didn’t move. Despite her precarious stance, her balance remained unaffected.
“Wh-where is this?”
Realizing something was wrong, Aselle frantically looked around. It wasn’t just him standing still.
Ronan, who was coming towards him with the witch still in his arms, people who were talking to each other with wide eyes, and even Itargand, who was still standing dumbfounded. Everyone stood still.
“Wh-what’s happening…?”
It felt like time had stopped. Trying to remember how this had happened proved futile. He distinctly remembered Ronan breaking the ice, but the next scene was a blank.
Then, a voice came from behind.
[Nice to see you, child.]
“Ugh…!”
It was a woman’s voice. Aselle gasped. The fact that when one is so startled they can’t even scream proved true.
His heart felt like it had sunk to his stomach. After taking numerous deep breaths, Aselle slowly turned his head. A woman in a white dress stood right behind him. She raised her hand, smiling warmly.
[You’re a very pretty child.]
“Kwaaaah!!”
Aselle let out a scream that had been building up. Thud! Recoiling backward, he stumbled and fell.
The woman giggled as if finding his reaction amusing. Aselle opened his mouth, barely holding back the tears that were about to spill out.
“Wh-who are you?”
[Who am I? That is an interesting question.]
The woman smiled. She was incredibly beautiful. Her waist-length, snow-white hair seemed spun from silk. Except for her bright blue eyes and crimson lips, everything about her was white.
Just by looking at her appearance, she seemed to be about the same age as Navirose, but her aura was so strange that it was hard to guess for sure. After a brief pause, the woman spoke again.
[I have many names, so you may call me whichever one you like. The cruelest season, the white land, or…]
For a moment the woman paused. With a graceful gesture, she walked over and stood next to Evelin.
[Or, you may call me the Winter Witch, like everyone else.”]
“Th-The Winter Witch…?”
Aselle’s face paled. He knew the Winter Witch’s face, so what on earth was she talking about? He pointed to Evelin, nestled in Ronan’s arms.
“Th-that girl is the Winter Witch, isn’t she?”
[Evelin is merely my vessel. A pitiful child. To be held captive by monsters and spend a year in freezing ice…]
The woman looked at the unconscious Evelin with a mix of pity and affection. She affectionately stroked Evelin’s transitioning brown hair, and continued.
[But it wasn’t all in vain. A shimmering star like you has found its way to me. You can’t even be compared to Evelin…]
“A sh-shimmering star…? More than that, what is happening to me…?”
[Ah, it’s nothing special.]
The woman stopped stroking Evelin’s hair and approached Aselle. She squatted down and gently held both of Aselle’s cheeks.
[It’s truly nothing special..]
Her touch was so cold that Aselle wanted to scream, his body wouldn’t budge. Between the gap of her flowing dress, her chest was clearly exposed. As if going in for a kiss, her face pressed close to his, and she softly whispered.
[Give me… your body.]
“Wha-?”
Aselle’s eyes widened. It was then that he realized the woman’s hair had wound around his limbs. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t move an inch. He tried urgently to cast a spell, but in an instant, the growing hair sealed his mouth shut.
“Uh… ugh…”
[It’s alright, my child. It’s alright…]
The woman whispered sweetly as she gently embraced Aselle. His consciousness started slipping away. Desperately trying to resist, he screamed with all his migh.
“R-Ronan!!”
****
“Ah…”
Aselle’s eyes regained focus. He came to his senses and looked around. The face of Elizabeth, who had been clapping her hands in front of him, brightened.
“What? Are you awake now?”
Aselle didn’t respond. Moving his limbs, he muttered with a mix of amazement.
“Incredible… even old man Lorehon wasn’t like this….”
“Huh? Are you okay, Aselle?”
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
“Is… is everything alright?”
Aselle belatedly nodded his head. Elizabeth tilted her head at the somehow changed atmosphere. It felt like his mannerisms and expression had subtly changed.
“Hey, are you alright?”
Then Ronan stepped forward. Evelin had been handed over to Karaka. Grabbing Aselle’s cheek, Ronan asked.
“Why have you been so quiet? Is something wrong?”
“You… ”
Aselle lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Ronan. Smiling faintly, Aselle suddenly embraced Ronan.
“My prince…”
“What’s gotten into this kid all of a sudden?”
Ronan’s face hardened like stone. Elizabeth covered her mouth with both hands. He grabbed Aselle’s shoulders, shaking him, feeling repulsed.
“Are you out of your mind? Huh?”
“Rude. I believe we can do this much.”
Aselle puffed out one cheek, displaying a girlish behavior. Brushing his hair behind his ear, Aselle muttered softly.
“This should be enough for quite an attractive appearance. Your standards are still quite high.”
“…He’s definitely lost it.”
Shivers ran down Ronan’s spine. Elizabeth, who had been alternating disdainful glances between the two, spoke up.
“This… this beast… how could you do this to Adeshan Unni… and even Aselle-Nim!”
“Elizabeth. Shut up.”
Ronan lowered his head. Aselle still maintained his feminine demeanor.
It seemed like a part of his brain had frozen due to the cold. He appeared to be in urgent need of physical treatment. As Ronan was about to roll up his sleeves, a voice came from behind.
“Stop right there.”
“Huh?”
Ronan turned his head. The red lizard hestling Itargand was glaring at him, still with his wings out.
“How did you do it?”
“What?”
“You shattered the ice that not even I could melt. What trickery did you use?”
“What trickery? If you’ve failed, just quietly go back and lick your wounds.”
Ronan waved dismissively. Itargand clenched his fist.
“No… I cannot accept this.”
“Then what?”
“I challenge you to a duel. Right here, right now.”
Itargand’s voice lowered. Without warning, his body began to swell.
A menacing tail started to grow. Kugugu! His mouth elongated, transforming into a crocodile-like maw. With reddened wings expanding, Ronan cursed in disbelief.
“This lizard bastard is insane!”
“Prove that you’re stronger than me.”
Even among the Red Dragons, this was extreme. Judica vibrated. People began screaming and fleeing. Interrogators rushed in, desperately trying to stop him.
“Lord Itargand, no! You cannot!”
“Shut up!”
Itargand roared. Several interrogators overwhelmed by his force sank to the ground. He was already halfway transformed into a dragon.
‘He’s going to cause chaos.’
Their current location was deep under the sea. If that immature dragon was to return to his original form, there was a high possibility that the outer walls would collapse and everyone inside would drown.
At this point, avoiding bloodshed was impossible. Ronan sighed deeply, preparing to draw his sword.
Swoosh! Something flew past Ronan and impaled Itargand in the chest.
“Huh…?”
It happened so fast that he wasn’t able to see it. Everyone’s faces froze stiff. Itargand, looking down at his chest, coughed up blood.
“Cough…”
A tree-sized ice spear was embedded deep in his chest. A chilling aura spread through Itargand’s entire body.
It was ice that he had seen many times before. Ronan slowly turned his head. Aselle, reaching out as if aiming for something, caught his eye.
“Aselle…?”
[Ah, truly remarkable as expected.]
Aselle murmured with a voice mixed with admiration. A crack-like smile appeared on his lips. His red hair was gradually turning white from the roots.
