MTM 131

Cr-crack!

Zed’s eyes flew open at the sound of something breaking. What he saw was the remains of a collapsed tower and a space filled with a foul liquid.

Tap

Thinking it might be a dream, Zed took a step, only for his foot to kick something. It was that bizarrely shaped small brain that Magnus had swallowed.

Zed picked it up and poured divine power over the lump emitting an ominous energy, creating layer upon layer of barriers. The golden barrier hardened before turning into an amber-colored gem.

Thump, thump!

The brain trapped inside the gem began to beat like a heart as it emitted a dim light. Before he knew it, what was beating in Zed’s palm wasn’t a brain, but a small heart pulsing precariously as if it might stop at any moment.

‘If you give all your strength to the wanderer who bears the same sorrow as you, salvation will descend upon you…’

Zed wrapped his hand around the heart and recited the prophecy. Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

“…….”

When he woke up, he saw the ceiling of the inn in Etheria. Zed blinked a few times as he recalled the lingering traces of the dream, then felt the spot beside him.

“Harto…?”

Harto wasn’t on the bed. Just as he tried to shake off the sudden chill of anxiety, a pleasant, giggling sound drifted in through the window. Zed quickly threw on some clothes and approached the windowsill.

Outside was a world turned completely white by the snow that fell overnight. Against the backdrop of the dazzling mountain range, Harto was playing with the elementals near the hot spring where steam was rising.

“Pyu!”

Mir had turned into a literal ball of ice and was rolling around, while Krom was chasing after him. Spi, finding the sight hilarious, sat on the straw bed Harto made yesterday and let out pipit-pipit sounds while breathing sparks.

“…Ah! Zed! Did you sleep well?”

Harto ran over like a squirrel to greet him when he spotted Zed.

“Yes, I slept well.”

“That’s a relief! You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t wake you up on purpose.”

Harto smiled with a face that resembled a snow-white fox’s. He was heavily armed with the fur cloak and fur hat provided by the Grenhardt mansion, but his nose was red, likely due to the cold air. It was a sight so lovely it made Zed’s heart ache, a vision he wanted to keep in his eyes forever.

“Zed, look at this! We made a snowman!”

Three small, unevenly shaped snowballs sat on Harto’s palm. It was a crude shape with a face made of twigs and pebbles, but it somehow looked like Harto.

“It’s cute.”

Harto’s appearance as he bragged about it was cuter than the snowman, but Zed praised him with a calm expression. At those words, Harto’s face filled with joy, as if he had gained the whole world.

“Right! Zed… do you want to make a snowman together…?”

As Harto asked tentatively, Zed remembered what he had said back at the old cabin.

‘But it snows when winter comes. When it snows… I want to make a snowman…’

Remembering that small and simple wish, Zed smiled gently and replied.

“Yes, let’s make one.”

“Okay! Zed, dress warmly and come out!”

Harto shouted and ran back to where the elementals were. Zed watched Harto’s back with a warm smile, but suddenly looked down at his own palm. He could still feel the sensations from the dream in his hand.

“…….”

Zed walked over to where he kept his luggage and took out a box wrapped tightly in cloth. Inside was the ‘small brain’ that Harto had dug out from Magnus’s body.

‘I sealed it with a difficult spell… but hiding the energy entirely with my power is a difficult task.’

Zed ruminated over Ser’s words once more. Just as he said, although unauthorized copy it was sealed with alchemy, the leaking energy couldn’t be completely hidden. Since the nature of this power was so unknown, it could be dangerous.

The fact that Ser joined this journey was by no means a coincidence. Isadora’s recommendation letter for him to the ‘Verdant Guild’ was only a surface-level excuse; in reality, they needed an alchemist to ensure the fragment of the Demon God in Zed’s possession didn’t break its seal.

Ser himself likely knew the intention. Even though he could’ve refused if he wanted to, he followed the group without a word. Zed was grateful for his help this time.

However, he didn’t view everything through a lens of hope. Even if they went to Carseon and met the Seeker, they might not find any clues. Carrying a monstrosity that was evil could lead to an uncontrollable disaster.

“…There’s no need to rush. Nothing is certain right now.”

Zed wrapped the fragment of the Demon God, the seed of his anxiety, tightly in cloth again and tucked it deep inside his bag. Then, following Harto’s voice calling from outside, he put on his coat and headed out.

Click.

As the door closed and silence settled in, snowflakes began to appear one by one. The snowflakes soon turned into snow fairies, white from head to toe, hovering around the bag like butterflies before vanishing like smoke.

***

Crunch, crunch.

Footsteps echoed on the path where snow had accumulated modestly. Ser walked alone across a stone bridge set upon land where plumes of steam were rising. When he sighed, a long trail of white breath escaped from his mouth.

“I don’t think you’re following me, so you can just come out.”

Ser’s indifferent voice rang out, and after a brief silence, Allen appeared hesitantly from the [Read on]path connected to the bridge.

“Haha…. this is embarrassing….”

He scratched the back of his head roughly, looking awkward.

“But don’t misunderstand… our directions just happened to be the same.”

“I know.”

“Uh… really?”

Ser replied dismissively, he really didn’t care about Allen’s circumstances. The latter chuckled with an embarrassed face and then slid over to Ser’s side.

“……?”

Ser looked at Allen with an expression wondering why he came right up to him instead of continuing on his way.

“…I don’t sell my body anymore.”

“What?! What do you take me for!”

At Ser’s blunt remark, Allen’s face instantly turned bright red. He yelled so loudly that his shout echoed through the air.

The sight made Ser laugh. When the usually expressionless [unauthorized copy]Ser laughed, Allen momentarily lost his train of thought.

“I see…. Alright, sorry for the misunderstanding. Then what were you doing? It doesn’t look like you came out for a walk like me.”

Having received an apology, Allen thought for a moment before drooping his shoulders and leaning against the bridge railing.

“Well…. I was wandering around to see if there was a place to get some alcohol…”

“Ah…. You still haven’t given up.”

“It’s a shame. Being in such a wonderful place and not being able to have a single drink. They say Carseon is also dry, right? That means I’m forced to abstain until we get to the Land of Abundance…”

He sighed, looking truly upset about the situation. Ser had heard he wasn’t even that strong of a drinker, but the prohibition seemed to cause him pain.

Ser thought for a moment and then said.

“If you don’t particularly care about the taste, I can make some for you if you bring me a few ingredients.”

“What? Are you saying you can even make alcohol with alchemy?”

“Yes, but if you’re suspicious, there’s nothing I can do.”

Ser shrugged, he didn’t care whether Allen believed him or not and started walking again. Allen followed behind.

“No, it’s not that I’m suspicious… Whoa!”

Ser, who was leading the way, suddenly came to a stop. Allen almost bumped into Ser’s back before barely stopping. As soon as he poked his head out to see what was wrong, his eyes narrowed. Someone was walking toward them through the thick fog.

It was an extraordinary appearance. A man boasting an imposing physique approached, wearing a wide-brimmed leather hat and a bear-skin cloak draped over his shoulders.

His face was completely invisible due to a black cloth covering his nose and mouth. At first glance, he looked like a hunter, but he didn’t have a quiver or a big weapon like an axe.

Seen up close, the man was tall. He scrutinized Ser and Allen, then slowly pulled down the cloth covering his face.

“Are you on your way to Carseon?”

“…Why do you ask?”

When Ser replied with a wary look, the man smirked and answered.

“There’s no need to go all the way to Carseon. I’m the Seeker you’re meant to meet.”