Arisa fled the village, running across the snowy fields of the northern highlands.
Even when she tripped while running and lost a shoe, she didn’t stop.
‘I have to get farther away from the village.’
She didn’t forget to glance behind her and make sure the monsters were following.
‘They’re following me.’
Someone might say she could simply die, but Arisa had no idea how the curse would run wild once she died.
Even when she had frozen her hometown as a child, she had no clear memories of what happened.
All she remembered was the fact that she had frozen everyone and the horrific aftermath.
‘So I have to get as far away as possible. So even if I die, the village won’t be harmed.’
As she ran endlessly with that thought, terrible pain suddenly struck her back.
SQUELCH―!
An arrow.
Some Goblins carried crude weapons, and one of them had fired an arrow at her.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a fatal wound.
“......Urgh.”
She closed her eyes, grabbed the arrow, and pulled it out.
Dark crimson blood stained her hand.
It was frightening.
It hurt.
Fear gradually slowed her steps.
‘This should be far enough.’
She stopped and turned toward the monsters.
The village was no longer even visible.
Her eyes met those of the Ogre steadily walking toward her.
Its killing intent was so overwhelming that simply facing it made her hands tremble.
‘I heard Ogres eat people...... Am I going to be eaten too?’
The thought of those enormous teeth tearing through her flesh and snapping her bones was horrifying.
She steadied her trembling breath and thought of the parents who had raised her and of Aleph.
Although she had been born with such a terrible fate, there were still people who had cared for her all this time.
Even if she was going to die, she wanted to struggle until the end so their efforts wouldn’t be wasted.
‘If it kills me like this, the Ogre might head back to the village afterward.’
At the very least, she intended to drag that massive creature down to hell with her.
If she was extraordinarily lucky, perhaps she might even survive.
“......Even then, I wouldn’t be able to go back to the village, would I?”
Arisa smiled bitterly.
‘They probably wouldn’t take me back in the first place. If I’m there, the village will only be put in danger again.’
Thinking that made her a little sad.
Even so, she didn’t hate them.
Simply being allowed to live there until now had left her with a debt she could never repay in her lifetime.
Once she accepted that she had nowhere to return to, her heart strangely became calmer.
Arisa stretched out a hand toward the Ogre.
Ice extended from her fingertips like tree branches and engulfed the Ogre and every monster around it.
CRACK!
Spike-like ice pierced through the Garms and Goblins, freezing their bodies solid.
Then the ice surged like a wave and shattered the frozen monsters into pieces.
‘......I can’t stop it.’
The second attack hadn’t been intentional.
It was as though a sealed faucet had been thrown completely open.
The flow of cold showed no sign of stopping now.
In an instant, the Ogre was the only monster left alive.
It blocked the cold with one arm and continued advancing.
Whenever ice obstructed its path, it smashed through with its club.
Part of the Ogre’s club broke away as well, leaving it sharp like a blade.
Arisa’s breathing quickened as she stared at it.
Every breath drove blade-like cold into her lungs.
“Please......”
With every passing second, the cold grew fiercer, and Arisa’s vision began to blur.
Growing hazy as though she were falling asleep, she suddenly remembered Lumio.
‘I’ll give you a normal life. Once you’ve made up your mind, take my hand. I’ll come again tomorrow.’
Would anything have changed if she had accepted his offer immediately?
‘Why am I the only one who has to suffer like this?’
“I only wanted to live an ordinary life......”
Before she realized it, the Ogre had drawn close.
It raised its club.
The distance was so narrow that if it swung, the weapon would strike her squarely in the forehead.
Arisa squeezed her eyes shut.
Only now, when she truly believed she was going to die, did the tears she had been holding back finally spill out.
But this cruel world wouldn’t even allow her to cry.
Even her tears froze cold.
At that moment, a voice came from beside her.
“Arisa!”
Through her fading vision, she saw Lumio.
He stretched out his hand and added,“Take my hand!”
Was this a dream?
She didn’t know.
But Arisa instinctively raised her hand.
The moment Lumio’s hand touched hers, warm heat spread throughout her body......
And tears flowed down her cheeks.
***
By the time I reached Arisa’s cabin, she was already gone.
“Am I too late?”
“A-Are you looking for Arisa?!”
“Did you see her?”
“That way......! She saved me, then lured the monsters away! Please save Arisa!”
I ran straight down the path the Dwarf pointed out.
In my previous life, Arisa had survived alone even after Kardum fell.
If nothing had changed from that life, she should still be alive.
Before long, I found a Goblin frozen solid while still alive.
I followed that trail farther and saw Arisa confronting the Ogre.
If I left her alone, she would win eventually.
The problem was that the aftermath of this berserk state would leave her with permanent mana impairment.
Hadn’t she said it felt as though she were swallowing blades every time she breathed?
She would also gain a large scar across her forehead, and every time she looked at that scar, she would wear a sorrowful expression.
That wasn’t the ordinary life I had promised her.
With Cold Resistance and warming magic, I could withstand Arisa’s power when she had only just begun to lose control.
I immediately ran toward her, called her name, and grabbed her hand.
WHOOSH―!
The Ogre’s club narrowly swept through empty air.
Arisa’s eyes widened in my arms.
I could feel through her trembling just how terrified she had been.
“Are you okay?”
“......This isn’t a dream?”
After muttering that, Arisa began pushing me away with her hands.
“No...... If you stay this close while I’m like this......”
“Stay still. I told you, I’m not going to die. I’m fine.”
“Everyone died. Even the mage and the knight from my hometown......”
I gripped Arisa’s hand tightly and spoke gently.
“Trust me. Isn’t that why you took my hand?”
I didn’t know how to comfort a crying woman.
All I could do was regulate Arisa’s magical power so she wouldn’t lose control any further.
Even that became difficult if she moved.
Fortunately, Arisa nodded and remained still.
‘Control Arisa’s magical power while killing the Ogre in front of me.’
It was harder than writing two different books at once, one with each hand.
But I could do it.
“Urgh.”
As I poured mana into suppressing Arisa’s violent cold, the pain of Mana Reflux Syndrome returned, twisting my insides.
Cold sweat poured down my forehead.
‘If I lose focus here, that Ogre’s club will turn both of us into paste.’
I bit my lips until I tasted blood and squeezed out every drop of mana I had.
“Wind Cutter(Wind Cutter).”
Fortunately, Arisa had already frozen half of the Ogre’s body solid.
Even so, the stubborn bastard was still forcing itself forward.
CRASH!
A frozen body was easier to break than expected.
The wind slicing through the air severed the Ogre’s arm.
Next, it shattered its leg.
The Ogre lost its balance and dropped to one knee, and I cleanly severed its neck.
SLASH!
‘......That was close. I’m almost completely out of mana.’
Completely unaware of what I was thinking, Arisa silently hugged me tightly.
“You did well.”
I was about to pat her back to reassure her when I noticed the wet bloodstain spreading across it.
I covered the wound with my hand and used healing magic as I added,“We have to go back to the village. There are still monsters there.”
If Arisa returned to the village, now that the Ogre was gone, the other monsters would flee again.
“......Am I allowed to go back?”
“Of course.”
“Even though the monsters are there because of me?”
“Do you really think the Dwarves would abandon you for something like that?”
Arisa still had her face buried against me.
She seemed uncertain.
My greatest regret in my previous life had been losing heart and giving up.
“Think about overcoming it together. The Dwarves care about you just as much as you care about them.”
Otherwise, they would have driven her out long ago.
“I’m scared I’ll hurt them.”
“I’ll stay beside you and make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Arisa raised her head and looked up at me.
Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Only then did I remember.
I remembered what had led Arisa and me to start talking in my previous life.
Back then, Arisa’s health had been poor, and she sometimes failed to control her cold.
Whenever that happened, I regulated her mana just like this.
Afterward, we became companions who could talk to each other, and we spent many years together.
Then Arisa died in my place.
“......You won’t leave me? You’ll stay alive beside me?”
“I promise.”
I’ve already done it once.
I’m used to it.
Anyway, we retraced the path we had taken.
Just as I expected, the monsters withdrew.
There were injured Dwarves, but none had died.
That was the last thing I remembered.
‘As expected...... I pushed myself too far.’
The world tilted.
Then all the strength left my body.
I heard Arisa desperately calling my name as though her voice were echoing from far away.
***
That day, I woke after noon.
“......Lord Lumio!”
Yulian was the one sitting beside me.
“You don’t have to look at me like that. I’m fine. I only fell asleep because I ran out of mana.”
“How could you just run off on your own like that?”
His tone was slightly angry.
“What would you have done if something happened to you?”
“Sorry.”
I smiled faintly, pressed my palms together, and apologized.
Yulian let out a deep sigh at the sight.
“Anyway, what happened after I passed out?”
“Nothing serious. The Dwarves stood guard all night in case anything happened, and they’ve started repairing the walls now.”
“......What about Arisa?”
“She’s outside the door. She was worried that you collapsed because of her. Her cold has weakened considerably, but that’s also why she’s keeping her distance.”
Yulian stood and headed outside, adding,“I’ll call a doctor.”
After he left, Arisa timidly entered.
She asked cautiously,“......How are you feeling?”
“As you can see, perfectly fine.”
“......That’s a relief.”
The corners of Arisa’s mouth rose gently.
I was slightly surprised.
I had never seen her smile even in my previous life.
‘She really has changed. I guess running myself ragged until I passed out was worth it.’
“Don’t stand over there. Come sit beside me.”
When I beckoned with my hand, Arisa lightly bit her lip and answered,“Okay.”
She sat in the chair beside the bed.
“......Thank you for saving me.”
She glanced at me and continued,“And you kept your promise.”
“It’s still too early to thank me. Your cold has weakened for now, but you aren’t completely cured.”
“Really?”
“Like I told you before, you have to come to our territory. Are you okay with that?”
Life had returned to Arisa’s eyes.
As though she had made up her mind, she nodded and answered coyly,“I gave you my answer yesterday. You can’t take it back now.”
“Look who’s talking.”
I chuckled and pushed myself upright.
If I could absorb the vast amount of mana generated while regulating Arisa’s cold, I should be able to shorten the time needed to reach the 3rd Circle.
‘I’m grateful to you too.’