“Erina. Why are you like this?”
“I have to protect you.”
It’s always the same response.
Under the guise of protecting me, Erina pushed away those around her.
No matter what I did, Erina’s paranoia didn’t fade away.
She never let her guard down, even when walking down the street.
She was hostile from the moment someone approached.
It was the same with the merchant who helped us until we reached Norton Village.
We were fortunate that Colin passed by politely just now.
If she had reacted even slightly harshly, the situation could have gone awry before we even started the quest.
“I don’t plan to cause trouble in the village. But if you’re in danger, I can’t just stand by.”
The conversation we had just had on the carriage shattered to pieces.
She still didn’t understand what she did wrong.
She’s just too busy hiding her true intentions behind my back.
I had to somehow change Erina’s attitude.
I couldn’t afford to raise suspicion among the people here at this point.
“There aren’t many people here, so rumors spread quickly. Plus, being an outsider, you’ll attract attention, so you have to be careful.”
“But still…”
“Please, Erina. Just listen to me.”
Even if she cares about me, it’s meaningless if she acts like this.
There’s no guarantee that she won’t behave the same way here as she did committing murder in the capital.
But flames were blazing in Erina’s eyes, contrary to my wishes.
“I’m sorry. But I just couldn’t stand by.”
“…”
“You may not know it yet, Seo-Hyun, but this world is too dangerous…! I must protect you at all costs!”
Suddenly, Erina was raising her voice.
I’ve warned her and advised her several times already.
Don’t confront people. Don’t fight with your comrades. Don’t commit murder.
But each time, she just softened her temper momentarily, without addressing the root of the problem.
I had no choice but to assert myself more strongly this time.
“Erina. Listen carefully.”
“Yes.”
She looked up as if to show she wouldn’t yield either.
Her stubborn expression only made me more determined.
I really didn’t want to say what I was about to say.
But if not now, there would be no opportunity to say it.
“If you harm or kill anyone from now on.”
“…”
“I’ll banish you, so deal with it.”
“Yes, but…?!”
Erina’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
Instinctively, her hand reached out toward me. But I immediately pushed it away.
With a crack, her arm recoiled.
“W-what are you saying…? You’ll banish me…?!”
“Exactly. If you kill someone once more, I’ll kick you out of the party forever, so deal with it.”
I didn’t want to say this either. In fact, it wouldn’t be good for me if Erina left.
If she’s not by my side, she might cause trouble elsewhere without me knowing.
There was a reason I hesitated until the moment before speaking.
But now, this was the only way to hold Erina’s leash.
“Deal with it yourself from now on.”
This method was better than explaining or persuading endlessly.
As expected, she seemed shocked, starting to tremble.
She clung to my clothes, shaking.
“But I truly did it for you…!”
“You killed people for me? Don’t say such nonsense.”
“But still, I swore…”
“If you keep ignoring me, there’s no reason for me to keep my oath.”
Building trust takes a long time, but it collapses in an instant.
The moment I realized the truth behind the Goddess’s words, she became someone I couldn’t trust anymore.
Ultimately, it was all her own doing.
Erina has received too many warnings from me so far.
The countdown to my patience had reached its limit.
From now on, if she ignores me even once, I won’t be able to just stand by.
She seemed like she wanted to say something, but she deliberately turned her head away, ignoring it.
I didn’t want to hear any excuses or explanations. I forcefully pulled away from her grip.
“Eek…?!”
With a newfound scream, Erina staggered backward.
I acted decisively, to the point of seeming cruel.
If I didn’t go this far, Erina wouldn’t change.
Her heart broke, but I had to assert myself.
“Kayla.”
“Yes.”
“Come with me. I have something to discuss.”
“Okay.”
Kayla quietly rose from her seat and followed behind me.
Erina tried to follow, but I blocked her with my body.
“Just wait here for a moment.”
“Why, why are you doing this…? I want to come too!”
“No, I need to talk to Kayla alone. You stay here.”
Leaving Erina behind, I got up from my seat.
I heard her desperate voice from behind, but I ignored it and closed the door with a loud bang.
With a thud, the door closed roughly, not deliberately, but pushed shut by the cold wind.
“Seo-Hyun…”
Kayla followed me, holding onto my hand.
Unbeknownst to me, I was holding her hand too.
While Erina and I argued, Kayla silently watched.
Even now, she was watching cautiously with a tense expression.
Unconsciously, I had been gripping her hand tightly.
“Sorry. I got carried away.”
I quickly released my grip.
I tried to have a calm conversation as much as possible.
But I couldn’t help but be swayed by Erina’s unreasonable excuses.
Kayla was the one who suffered the most in between.
“No, Seo-Hyun, you had every reason to be angry.”
I had never directly confronted or gotten angry with Erina before.
But it was bound to happen someday.
I felt relieved that I spoke up now rather than later.
If I didn’t go this far, Erina would continue to act recklessly.
I had to take control somehow. I couldn’t just be led by her.
There was a reason why I left Erina alone.
I wanted to give her time to think.
I hoped she would understand why I said what I said.
“In truth, I believe your actions were justified, Seo-Hyun.”
My hand stopped at Kayla’s words.
In truth, I didn’t know what was right.
I was worried that I had been too harsh on Erina.
But Kayla, on the other hand, positively affirmed my actions.
“No one can forgive harming others.”
Kayla had also killed many people without reason.
But now was different.
Knowing her past sins, she said my actions were right.
I felt the cold wind against my skin.
A chill seeped into my body.
Knowing she was sensitive to the cold, I firmly wrapped Kayla’s robe around her.
“But don’t worry too much. I have no intention of driving Erina away.”
It was almost a warning that I wouldn’t just stand by if she crossed that line.
“Is that so…”
Kayla wore a subtle expression.
It might be confusing for her between me and Erina.
But unlike her, Kayla was a trustworthy comrade.
At least she didn’t lie to me.
“Kayla, do you trust me?”
Kayla answered my question immediately.
“I have pledged to follow you. I will strive to prove my loyalty until the end.”
She didn’t hesitate for a moment.
I didn’t ask for such heavy loyalty, but it was reassuring.
Having at least one reliable comrade in this world made my heart feel secure.
“Thank you.”
I approached Kayla and looked her straight in the eye.
I reached into her robe and slowly tidied up her messy hair.
Even when I mentioned the expedition to Mount Norstel, Kayla didn’t complain.
Despite knowing it would be difficult to endure the cold, she silently followed.
“But still, next time, if it’s cold, just tell me. That way, I can help.”
“Ah, okay…!”
First, solving the cold was the priority.
“Let’s go to the shop and see if there are any items to keep us warm.”
We left the inn and walked through the village.
Unlike the capital, Norton Village was quite modest.
There were no more than thirty buildings at most.
There wasn’t even anyone walking around outside.
The atmosphere was so dismal that it dampened my mood involuntarily.
It was already late, and the sun was setting, making the temperature drop gradually.
With a worried heart, I held Kayla’s hand.
“Are you very cold?”
“No, I’m okay with this…”
Kayla was shivering all over.
Even though she wore a blanket and a robe, it didn’t seem to help.
Hastily, we entered the shop to escape the cold.
“Welcome.”
Inside the shop, the only light came from candles.
A warm-hearted lady greeted us inside.
“Adventurers from the outside, right? Take your time looking around.”
It seemed like rumors about us had already spread.
Considering the location, adventurers rarely came to this place.
So, it was easy for the lady to guess that we were strangers.
“Yes, thank you.”
We browsed through the interior of the shop slowly.
In fact, it was more like goods spread out in a house than a typical store.
Compared to the capital, it was extremely modest.
There weren’t many useful items among the displayed products.
Nevertheless, I managed to find what I needed.
“Leather clothes, shoes, blankets. Please give me warm clothes.”
Since I already had potions and weapons from the capital, I only needed clothes to protect against the cold.
Although the items were crude, they seemed sturdy enough.
Perhaps the people here made them themselves, judging by their effectiveness against the cold.
I took out my money bag to pay.
However, the shop lady waved her hand.
“I’ll just give them to you.”
“What?”
“Adventurers from the capital, right? Just coming this far is appreciated.”
According to the lady, it had been a long time since outsiders visited this village.
Moreover, she mentioned that we were the first adventurers to come here to solve a quest.
“In return, please take care of the monsters. I hope you can solve the quest.”
The lady stood up slowly and bowed her head to me.
I immediately bowed my head in gratitude.
“Thank you. We will definitely complete the quest.”
However, I felt uneasy about leaving without paying anything.
So, I looked through the displayed items on the table again.
In fact, there was one item that caught my eye from the beginning.
“How much is this necklace?”
There was an item emitting a particularly sparkling light.
The necklace displayed on the edge of the table emitted a blue light.
Even in the dark room, it emitted a clear light.
“Oh, this necklace? I’m not sure about the details, but I heard it’s made of rare gems.”
She mentioned that she sometimes purchased items from traveling merchants.
She explained that it gathered light and emitted it when taken to dark places.
“It could illuminate the surroundings even in caves or dark places without torches.”
In short, it was an accessory used as a flashlight.
Since Kayla could use light magic, I didn’t really need to buy it.
However, it seemed perfect as a gift for someone.
“Well, it seems to be quite precious. It might be difficult to give it to you for free.”
“Of course, I’ll pay for it. How much is it?”
Fortunately, the price wasn’t too high.
After paying a reasonable amount, I took the necklace.
With a final promise to successfully complete the quest, we left the shop.
I personally dressed Kayla in the clothes we bought from the shop.
A fur hat, scarf, leather coat, and fur boots. On top of that, she wore the robe.
“Feeling better now?”
“Yes. I think I can move around outside with this.”
Kayla stopped trembling.
Her voice, which had been shaking, returned to normal.
She started waving her arms or lightly jumping, as if testing out the thick clothes.
She adjusted her posture as she stood still.
Watching her, I couldn’t help but smile.
She seemed like a child experiencing winter for the first time.
“You’ve never been here before?”
“No. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve never dared to venture north because I’m sensitive to the cold.”
That was perfectly understandable. It was a harsh place for both dragons and humans to live.
I’ve heard that this area was even ignored by the elves.
There were plenty of reasons why people didn’t take on quests here.
It was far from the capital, and the journey was treacherous.
The harsh weather made it difficult to move properly.
Furthermore, the monsters in this area were all known to be particularly difficult.
Who would want to take on such a challenging and obscure quest?
But among the many quests, there was a reason why I specifically came here.
“Kayla, have you heard of ‘Frostbloom’?”
At my question, she tilted her head for a moment.
Not long after, she exclaimed, “Ah!” and clapped her hands together.
“I’ve heard of it. It’s a rare flower that grows in the snowy mountains.”
That was correct. But we were clueless about the flower’s effects.
“It’s said that consuming Frostbloom makes you resistant to the cold.”
“Really…?”
Of course, it was information that no one knew.
Frostbloom, which only grew in the rugged terrain of the Norstel Mountains, was extremely hard to come by.
Even if you managed to find it, no one had ever consumed the rare flower.
I had learned about it through research.
By the way, Erina had already consumed it during the first playthrough.
So, I needed to find Frostbloom for Kayla and myself.
“If we find Frostbloom, you may not need to wear such thick clothes.”
“I had no idea it had such effects. Thank you for letting me know.”
Surprisingly, Kayla believed my words without hesitation.
I nodded in agreement with her overly trusting reaction, even though I had doubts in my mind.
But there was more than one reason why I came here.
Frostbloom was undoubtedly an important item.
But there was an event that held even more value.
“Do you know that there’s a cave at the summit of the Norstel Mountains?”
“…No. I didn’t know about it.”
Of course, she wouldn’t know.
No one had ever reached the summit of those mountains.
Who would want to go all the way to the summit of the cold and distant Norstel Mountains?
But there was a reason why it was necessary to go there.
“Do you know about the legend of the Snow Maiden?”
It was a legend that descended from the Norstel Mountains in the north.
A woman born from snowflakes. It’s said that she once ruled over the Norstel Mountains.
Just like the legend of the Dragon Knight, the Snow Maiden was undoubtedly a real person.
“The top of a snowy mountain. Nearby, in a hidden cave, is the Snow Maiden’s abode.”
