Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: 

The Forest at Night 

Several months passed and it was now winter. Winter in the Northern Territories was harsh. It was almost hard to believe that this place was only a bit further north of the Asura Kingdom, considering the abundance of snow that almost seemed to bury the land. 

As the snow closed off the region, imports from the neighboring kingdoms ceased, and residents were no longer able to get fresh vegetables. Their meals instead consisted of the heaps of beans they gathered before winter, fermented dishes such as pickled vegetables, and the meat of beasts that adventurers hunted down. It was the custom in this region to wash down such crude, bland meals with strong alcohol. Those around me had long pitied me for not drinking, but it mattered little to me. Lately, nothing I ate had any flavor, anyway. 

Although it was winter now, my life remained the same. I did physical training, prayed, ate my food, then headed off to do my work as an adventurer. Such was my daily routine. However, it was nearing six months since I’d come to this town and I felt like there was little left for me to accomplish here. For better or worse, the name “ Quagmire Rudeus” was beginning to spread. I was proactive in offering my assistance to the younger generation of adventurers, and I was well-known among the veterans as well. I even had collaborators within some of Rosenburg’s adventuring parties, who would ask about Zenith on my behalf when they ventured to far-off villages. One such party, which set off before winter began, assured me they would spread word. 

Perhaps as a result of this hard work, my reputation had also spread among the merchants that conducted business with adventurers, such as those owning weapon shops, armor shops and item shops. On top of that, I’d also managed to make a good impression on a store specializing in magical implements. If they ran into any trouble, I would help them out, and they would spread word of my existence as payment. I wasn’t sure how effective this would be, but the merchants had their own networks. I hoped that, through one of these connections, word might reach Zenith. 

Then again, considering the radio silence despite my efforts here, she was likely not in the area. Another possibility was that she was already— 

No, stop. Thinking about that isn’t going to do any good, I chided myself. 

“Phew…” I sighed as I slipped on my cold weather gear and left the inn. My destination was the Adventurers’ Guild. 

It was chilly outside. The snow was barely coming down, and the breeze wasn’t very strong. The Snow Hedgehog fur wrapped around me felt warm, but the wind on my face was frigid. My breath emerged as a white mist, and the spit in my mouth felt like it might freeze. While the temperature was better now than at night or early dawn, it was still unmistakably chilly. 

I shivered as I plodded across the snow-covered street. I should probably move on to the next city when spring comes, I thought to myself, even though I felt entirely unmotivated to do so. 

The Adventurers’ Guild bustled with people in the winter. This was largely because few parties chose to undertake multiple-day trips while our surroundings were snowed in. Instead, they would pursue work within the city or prioritize requests that could be completed before nightfall. Otherwise, they might head for a village just a day or two away and plan to stay there. 

Inevitably, this meant many parties lounged about in the guild, waiting for the right request to be posted. Of course, my work didn’t change at all. I would approach those hesitating over a quest, or someone would invite me along to accompany them. I was an extremely useful party member, given that I could cast all four schools of offensive magic without incantation. 

It wasn’t an ideal situation, of course. I didn’t want to simply be used for my abilities; I wanted the parties to get to know me and use that to spread my name. But I was also at a loss for what to do next. 

Today, like always, I took a seat near the bulletin board. At some point I’d begun to treat this as my personal seat. I wondered if someone else occupied it while I was off on missions. 

“Tch.” 

As I was looking at the rows of requests on the board, waiting for other adventurers, I heard someone click their tongue. My heart felt leaden as I glanced backward and caught sight of Stepped Leader approaching the bulletin board. The one who’d made their disgust audible was, to no one’s surprise, Soldat. 

Ever since that incident in the bar, he’d seemed to harbor a deep contempt for me, and whenever he spotted me he would tut or find some other way to make that contempt known. I preferred to avoid him if possible, but now that it was winter, he and the others couldn’t go off labyrinth diving. 

“Looking for leftovers again?” Soldat asked mockingly. 

“I have my reasons for doing this.” 

“What reasons? Everything you do is half-assed,” he scoffed, before heading over to the bulletin board. 

I knew I was being half-assed. I wasn’t sure how to fix that problem, but no one was perfect. Right now, I was trying my best to do what I needed to do. What part of that was so unpleasant to him? 

Wish he’d just keep out of it. It’s got nothing to do with him, I thought sullenly. 

Soldat promptly selected his party’s next mission, wrapped up his business at the reception desk, and left the guild. He never lingered long, either because he couldn’t stand being in my presence or because he just wanted to keep himself busy with work. He would enter, make a beeline for the bulletin board, quickly select a request, and be on his way. Then he would return that evening or the following day, and if we ran into each other, he would mock me again. 

It wasn’t harassment. Soldat was also doing his utmost to avoid me, I was sure. Still, every single time he saw me he would tell me I was garbage or worthless or doing things half-assed, so I was understandably exhausted. Maybe his true objective was to discourage me from being at the guild at all. 

Occasionally, the members of Counter Arrow would step in to help if they were present, but they weren’t here today. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen them for two whole days now, Since I hadn’t seen them around town either, that must mean they’d gone off to some village for a prolonged period to take requests. 

Things felt a bit lonely without them. 

There were no notable requests that day. The snow had picked up immediately after I entered the guild, and during blizzards, parties who weren’t interested in low-paying work generally took the day off. Of course, there were also quite a few adventurers who were hurting for money, and set out to do unranked requests by themselves. Unranked quests included things like shoveling snow or clearing off people’s roofs. Shoveling snow seemed like a fool’s errand to me, but it had to be better than nothing. 

If there were no job requests, I had nothing to do. But it didn’t feel right to just stew in the gloomy atmosphere of the Adventurers’ Guild, either. I decided to try taking one of those unranked requests. 

“Trying something new” didn’t exactly absolve me of Soldat’s so-called “half-assing,” but his words certainly did instill within me a need to do something . 

“Clearing snow off the road, clearing snow off rooftops, clearing snow out of the garden of the liege lord’s mansion, and clearing snow off the ramparts.” 

Looking at the bulletin board, all of the missions had to do with snow. The only difference between the requests was who made it. Just thinking about heading out into the cold to move snow and dump it elsewhere was depressing, but perhaps I should just be glad that it was a way to earn money, right? 

Nah, the coin hardly seemed like it was worth the effort. Still, despite my reservations, I still decided to take one of the jobs. 

“How unusual, Mister Quagmire, for you to take a request like this.” 

“Yeah, well, it’s a change of pace.” 

“A change of pace, hm? Yes, I think that sounds wonderful!” The female receptionist smiled merrily and processed the request. 

*** 

The mission was located at what basically amounted to a snow collection center. Though it wasn’t particularly large, snow from around the town was carried here to this relatively small plaza. In the middle of this park-sized plaza was an enormous furnace, and that was it. 

I approached the man who seemed like he was in charge and showed him the request I’d received. “My name is Rudeus Greyrat. A pleasure.” 

“You that famous Quagmire guy?” he asked. 

“I don’t really know if I’m famous or not,” I said awkwardly. 

“Well, then hurry up and get to it.” 

Those weren’t the most helpful instructions. “Umm…may I ask what kind of work I’m supposed to be doing?” 

“Ahh, so it’s your first time, eh? The work is simple. People haul snow in here, you use that scoop over there to pack it in toward the back. Basically, you’re packing the snow. We’ve got a route set up for accessing the magical implement, so don’t pile the snow on that. Once you got enough piled up, wait for the signal and activate that magical device over there. Even if your mana runs out, the snow’ll keep coming, so don’t just leave. You can keep helping us organize it.” 

“All right, got it.” I still wasn’t quite sure what kind of job this was, but I knew what I was supposed to do, so there was no use point in thinking too hard. I just had to do it. 

I was given a shovel by another staff member. Just as instructed, I began to transfer the haphazard piles of snow to the back of the plaza. Things would work better if people just dumped it there to begin with, I thought. Then again, there was the magical device in the center. Considering the problems that would arise if someone accidentally broke it or buried it in snow, maybe this was the best route after all. 

Such were my absentminded thoughts as I worked. I exchanged a few words with the other adventurers working alongside me, and we shoveled the snow together, throwing it atop a drift that was about as tall as I was. There were other men packing atop the drift, as well. The wall we ultimately created was about three times my size. 

The snow was heavy, but I had my well-trained right arm “Hulk” and left arm “Hercules.” They were crying out in joy at the sudden influx of delicious lactic acid. I focused my strength in my lower back, braced my legs and moved my arms, leaving the lifting to my muscles as I hauled the snow. 

This is an impressive load; here we go, Hulk’s voice boomed as my elbow muscle bulged. If we must, Hercules seemed to reply in turn as my bicep drew back. The triceps on either arm felt like they were being ripped apart. 

“You’ve got some strength for a magician,” one of the other workers commented. 

“Even a magician has need for strength,” I said. “I’ve been working out.” 

“Come on, a magician doesn’t need strength.” 

My body warmed, and sweat began to pour from my upper body. It actually felt pretty good moving muscles I didn’t ordinarily use. Maybe I’d made the right decision taking this mission. 

“Okay, Quagmire, go ahead and make your way to the magical device. I’ll give you the signal.” 

“Roger.” Per my orders, I returned the shovel and headed over to the device. Unfortunately, since it was located in the middle of our wall, you had to go around the entrance of the plaza to access it. I took one of the paths running through the plaza and began to make my way there. I could take a shortcut by using my magic to burn a path through, but when in Rome… I decided to just take the long way. 

“There’s a lot of kids here too.” 

Snow was still being brought over by the entrance to the plaza. There were adventurers, townspeople, and a bunch of militia members. Mixed in their number were some small children as well. 

Well, it is just carrying snow, I assured myself. Even kids can handle that. 

Their transportation methods varied. There were those who carried snow in buckets, those who carried it on their backs in barrels, those who carried it in carts, and those who hauled in snow-filled wooden boxes. They all had blank looks on their faces. I suppose it was natural that no one looked like they were having fun. Shoveling snow wasn’t enjoyable for anyone. 

Still, the children looked a bit more enthusiastic than the adults. I wondered if it was because they really liked it or if it was for a more realistic reason, such as knowing that the more they carried, the more they’d get paid. Young boys and girls hauled their densely packed wooden buckets, their faces flushed bright red, making repeated round trips. 

Perhaps the heavy snowfall left the residents with nothing else to do, and that was why there were so many people here. 

As I watched, one girl who’d been toddling along carrying snow suddenly fell. The ground should have been soft enough to cushion her, but she clutched at her foot in pain, tears welling up. 

I somehow found myself going over to her and crouching as I said, “What’s wrong?” 

“Oh…! I-It’s nothing.” She clamped a hand over her foot as if she were frightened. She immediately tried to stand, but her face crumpled and she staggered. 

“Please, let me have a look.” I moved her hand and slipped her boot off. When I did, I discovered her foot was red and swollen, with blackened toes and blisters. This had to be frostbite. Just looking at it was heartrending. “Let this divine power be as satisfying nourishment, giving one who has lost their strength the strength to rise again. Healing!” 

“Ah!” 

Once I pressed my hand to it and recited the incantation, her foot quickly returned to normal. The healing magic in this world sure was handy. But after I’d finished tending to the opposite foot as well, the girl turned to me with a look of despair. After I’d gone to all that trouble to heal her, too. Why was she making that face? 

“Did I do something unnecessary?” I asked. 

“U-um, I-I don’t have any money. I can’t…pay you anything.” 

“Oh.” I felt like I’d heard about lowlifes who approached the injured or sick without invitation, healed their wounds and then demanded payment that couldn’t be made. When this happened, particularly at orphanages, the orphans were then taken to be sold as slaves. 

“I don’t really need anything,” I said and stood. If I did something that reprehensible to a child, I’d never be able to face Ruijerd. 

“Hey, Quagmire, what’re you doin’?!” 

When I got to my feet, the manager was looking my way, yelling. The plaza was buried in snow three times my height. It had been half-covered when I first arrived, but it had filled up quickly since. 

“I’m going.” I hurried over to the magical device. 

“Okay, Quagmire. Do it.” 

“Okay!” Just as I was ordered, I put my hand on the device and began to pump mana in. I wasn’t used to magical devices like this, so I had no idea how much it needed, but I was sure that the manager would let me know when it was enough. I just had to keep going until then. 

As I continued charging the device and confirmed it was working, I looked around. “Whoa.” 

The device was heating the area closest to it. The snow gradually melted and was absorbed into the ground. Apparently, the ground of the plaza was also a magical device, for I could see a geometric shape carved into what looked like brick beneath us. Or perhaps the whole plaza itself was part of the device? 

I continued to watch the snow melt as I poured in more of my mana. I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was like watching snow thaw in fast forward, like I was witnessing spring’s approach, as white gave way to a spread of orange brick below. But spring was still distant, of course. The sky was still a murky gray, and the snow continued to fall. 

The snow in the plaza steadily disappeared, and I could see the faces of all those gathered in the area. “Oooh!” 

A commotion broke out, along with applause. What’s this about? I wondered. I dropped my hands and joined them in the applause. 

“Yeaah, I should’ve known. So this is what an A-rank magician’s mana can do.” The manager approached, looking somewhat impressed. 

“Um…is this enough?” I asked. 

“Yeah, more than enough.” 

“I’m still not out of mana though, so…?” The falling snow was rapidly painting over the orange brick once more. At this rate, it would soon pile up again. 

“Nah, it’s fine. Your mission is complete. Good work. It would really help us out if you’d come back when you’re free,” said the manager, signing my request form as complete. 

That was quick. “Uh, are you sure I don’t have to pack snow anymore?” 

“After how much you melted, yeah. Honestly, I didn’t even think you’d get through one-third of it. Besides, I can’t give you any more money than this.” 

So that was it. By melting all the snow, I’d completed the request. That made sense. This manager was a pretty cool guy, too, considering he could’ve said nothing and just made me keep working. 

Now I was back to being bored. Not like I really wanted to shovel snow, but more like I didn’t feel I’d given it my best. Maybe I should ask for the shovel again. I didn’t even care if it was just free labor. 

No. If that was the case, maybe it would be better to return to the guild and pick a different unranked mission. It didn’t even have to be shoveling snow. I could, for instance, just do physical training or— 

“Mister Magician!” 

Just as I was about to leave, a small child flagged me down, interrupting my internal debate. It was a young girl, but not the same one I’d helped just moments ago. “What’s your name?” she asked. 

“Rudeus Greyrat,” I answered, even though I had no idea why she was asking. She took off running the minute she heard my name, not even bothering to reply. 

What the heck? So she’s just going to ask my name and run away? What a rude child. 

Or so I thought…but the girl ran toward a gathering of other young children. As she huddled amongst them, they seemed to confer with one another. I could hear their hushed voices from where I stood. Was my name really worth all that whispering? After a while, the group nodded and disappeared into an alleyway. As I looked on, I spotted the girl I had healed amongst them. She glanced over at me and bowed before scurrying off. 

“Hm.” It usually soured my mood when people gossiped about me, but not this time—probably because they weren’t badmouthing me. Perhaps something good would come from making a name for myself among those kids. And even if it was completely pointless, I didn’t mind occasional acts of charity. I actually felt good about myself for a change. 

Welp, let’s get back to the guild, I decided. 

*** 

There, in the early afternoon at the guild, I spotted some faces I knew: Suzanne, Timothy, and Patrice—all the members of Counter Arrow. Well, not all . If they were here at this hour, it meant they’d just finished a request, so I had probably just missed the others. 

They were usually the ones to approach me, but I decided I should occasionally greet them first. After all, I was in a pretty good mood today. “Hello.” 

“Oh, it’s Rudeus.” 

Hm? They seemed kind of gloomy. Not just Suzanne, but Timothy and Patrice as well. “Did something happen?” I asked. 

“Yeah…it’s Mimir and Sara.” 

I didn’t see those two around, but just because the five of them were a group didn’t mean they had to spend all their time together. That was how I rationalized their absence, anyway. Had something happened? 

“Did the two of them get married or something?” I teased. 

“So you crack those kind of jokes too, huh?” 

“I’m sorry.” 

Timothy’s usual smile was missing. In fact, his expression was just the opposite—all clouded over. It seemed my words had annoyed him. Was I right? Had something really happened? “Um, do you mind if I ask about it?” 

Timothy went silent. Instead, it was Suzanne who looked up and said, “They’re dead.” 

My rare joyful mood vanished in a second. “Oh. I see,” I said. 

I couldn’t quite digest the idea that they were gone. And it wasn’t like this was the first time something like this had happened to me. As adventurers, death was our constant companion. I’d heard that another party I was close to had been completely wiped out. 

Even so, it was depressing. Accepting their deaths wasn’t the same as being unaffected by them, after all. I wasn’t particularly close to either of them, nor did we know each other all that well. Still, we’d shared meals together; overcome death together. I couldn’t help feeling sad to hear they’d lost their lives. 

But there was nothing to be done. Sooner or later, all adventurers would die. The possibility of death shadowed them so long as they continued this line of work. That was just how things were. 

“No,” Timothy said. “Mimir aside, Sara isn’t dead yet .” Although I’d already accepted the fact, Timothy now claimed otherwise. His face twisted in frustration as he snapped at Suzanne and Patrice. “We were just separated from her during the battle. It’s not like we saw her corpse. So maybe if we had just searched a little more, we could have—” 

“Give it up,” Suzanne urged. “You couldn’t see anything in that forest, not in that blizzard. We’re better off considering her dead.” 

“But—” 

“I said give it up! If we’d stayed there any longer to search, we would be dead too! We knew that, and that’s why we obeyed your orders!” Suzanne barked at Timothy as the latter hung his head. 

It seemed Timothy had given the order to retreat. Now he was regretting his decision. 

I could understand why. Regret was inevitable once you saw where your decision led. When you were forced to abandon something important, you couldn’t help but wonder if you should have bet on that sliver of hope, even if it did result in a worse fate. 

“Timothy, you don’t have to take all the blame. We could have ignored orders back then, you know, but we agreed to come back here. We’re equally responsible,” said Patrice. 

“That’s right,” agreed Suzanne. “We’re with you. So don’t get down on yourself.” 

The two of them were trying to comfort Timothy, even though they were surely heartbroken themselves. Perhaps they held on to a thin sliver of hope for Sara, but kept it to themselves because of how dangerous the search would be. They had to consider the future they still had ahead of them. If they ventured back out on impulse and were unlucky, they could lose another person. Maybe two. Maybe even the whole team. 

As I considered that, I recalled what happened in that cave we’d explored a couple months ago, before winter began. Sara was the first one to come to my aid. In retrospect, that had been a really dangerous move. It could have led to the entire party being wiped out, or someone’s death at the very least. 

“So where was it that you got separated?” I asked. 

“To the west, in Trier Forest. Visibility was so poor because of the blizzard that we somehow wandered into its bounds. The moment we tried to get out, a herd of Snow Buffaloes attacked us.” 

“So that’s what happened. That must have been rough.” Trier Forest. If I remembered correctly, that was half a day’s journey away. “Well, I should be going,” I said, turning to take my leave. 

Timothy and the others said no more, and they didn’t try to stop me, either. 

I immediately left the guild and headed straight for the inn. Once inside, I darted up the stairs and rushed to my room. I kept my arctic clothing on and merely shook off the beads of water that had collected on it. I grabbed my large backpack from the corner of my room, tossed in my remaining stores of food, and shrugged the straps over my shoulders. Then I was gone, down the stairs and out the door. 

Why was I doing this? I couldn’t say. I knew, somehow, that this was sure to be a fool’s errand. Regardless, I wanted to go. I wanted to see for myself if that young girl—who was always vulgar with her words and actions, always mimicking Suzanne—had really died or not. 

I didn’t know why. 

Yeah, seriously, I didn’t. Even so, I was traipsing out into the middle of this blinding blizzard. 

“This storm is a real eyesore.” I squinted at the sky. It was a smear of gray hiding behind a blanket of falling snow. I pointed my staff in its direction. Roxy had told me it was best not to meddle with weather, so I heeded her words as best I could. 

I moved the clouds by creating a tornado to disperse them. 

“There we go.” The clear blue sky shone above me as I set forth, boots crunching through the snow. 

*** 

Night had descended and it was pitch black by the time I arrived at Trier Forest. Thanks to my weather manipulation, I didn’t have to wade through a blizzard to get here. Inside the forest, the trees formed a dome that covered the sky. My torch barely provided enough light to see with, and the snow lay dense and high on the ground. As I moved forward, I found myself buried to the waist. It was significantly more difficult to walk than usual. I plodded forward, step by step. Occasionally, a heap of the frozen powder would come cascading off nearby trees, as if trying to bury me. 

Hang on… It wasn’t falling on its own. Something was dumping it on me. 

I looked up and discovered the monster behind it: a Snowfall Treant. In the summer these were ordinary treants, but when winter came, snow accumulated on their branches. As their name implied, they would try to impede passing adventurers by burying them. They were a low-ranked treant unique to this region. They mostly just dumped snow on you, but there were occasionally individuals that could use ice magic, hurling down blocks of ice large enough to flatten a human in one blow. These were a higher-ranked sort called the Icefall Treant. I had yet to encounter one. 

If possible, I would prefer to keep it that way. 

“Burn in Place.” I used fire magic to thaw the snow falling from above. “Stone Cannon.” Then I used my earth magic to destroy the treant. It stopped moving after my attack blasted a hole through its trunk, sending splinters flying everywhere. 

At this point, their attacks were merely a hindrance. In fact, the densely packed snow at my feet was a far bigger obstacle. Walking was difficult, and at times I found my feet completely swallowed by snow. When that happened, I used fire magic to melt my way through. 

But my arctic gear was made of a Snow Hedgehog’s pelt. As it absorbed the water, it became heavier, so I had to use wind magic to dry it. All of this slowed my pace. 

Maybe in the future I should train myself to better navigate terrain like this. 

I silently pushed forward as I considered that option. Part of me wondered what I was even doing. There was no way I could find Sara. The other three had searched for her immediately after she went missing and still didn’t find her. Just how was I supposed to succeed where they failed? I didn’t even have the sense to ask their exact location before I left. 

I could call out and let her know where I was, but I wasn’t doing that. I told myself that monsters would be alerted to my presence if I did, but that just made me think of what Soldat had said. Half-assed. Seriously, what was I even doing? This search did nothing but appease my own ego. 

If that wasn’t good enough, then what would satisfy me? 

Finding Sara, of course. If I managed to find Sara using my own methods, that would satisfy me. It didn’t matter whether she was dead or alive. The only thing that mattered was that I took action and had something to show for it. 

That was it. 

Results. 

Right now, I just wanted results. Nothing else mattered. It wasn’t as though I wanted desperately to save Sara, or that I wanted to repay the kindness the members of Counter Arrow had shown me. I just wanted to accomplish something. Or maybe it was that I wanted to actively make the choice to not abandon someone else. 

Eris had abandoned me and it had left me severely depressed. I didn’t want to do the same to someone else. I didn’t want to do the horrible thing that had been done to me. 

Maybe that was all it was. I didn’t know—I couldn’t know—why it was I was here, toughing it out like this. 

“There they are.” 

Just as I was lost in a maze of my own thoughts, I spotted a herd of monsters ahead: a group of Snow Buffaloes. They huddled together amidst the sea of white. Their gray coats made for superb camouflage in a blizzard, allowing them to launch surprise attacks on unsuspecting adventurers, but right now the sky was clear. Although they were still difficult to see while hidden among the shadows of the trees, there was no mistaking their presence. 

Snow Buffaloes flocked together in wooded areas, forming a singular herd in each forest. They generally spent the winter in one area, birthing and rearing their young in the snow. If someone was attacked by a herd, it was usually because that person had trespassed on their territory. 

In other words, there was a high likelihood that this was the area where Timothy and Sara got separated. It was also likely that her corpse was in the belly of one of those creatures. Buffaloes from my previous life were herbivores, but these beasts were carnivores. 

I channeled my mana into both hands. It might be impossible to defeat them all at once, but a preemptive strike would thin their numbers. 

“Earth Hedgehog!” 

The magic I discharged from my hands struck the ground below the Snow Buffaloes. In an instant, a vast number of spikes burst upwards, thick as human arms, skewering and killing ten or so. 

“Brwooor!” The herd was flustered by my sudden assault, and spooked by their surroundings as they began to move. 

“Earth Lance!” With that spell, I killed those that remained, one after the other. It was mostly trivial work. They darted around in confusion searching for me, but by the time they discovered my location, most were already dead. The ones who spotted me soon joined their ranks. 

When only a few individuals were left, the herd attempted to escape. But it was too late. I had no intention of letting a single one get away. 

“Earth Lance!” 

I moved like a machine, continuously launching magic at them. Pretty soon, none were left alive. 

If they had fled a little sooner, or if the remaining beasts had grouped up, they might have had better luck. The fact that they didn’t instantly flee when attacked was proof they were monsters, rather than wild animals. They fought, and fought, and only tried to run when they knew they wouldn’t win. Creatures that thirsted for battle were fearsome, indeed. 

“Phew.” I’d intended to be cautious, just to be sure that I didn’t catch Sara in the crossfire if she were in their vicinity, but the discretion seemed pointless. I waded over to the scattered lot of buffalo corpses. The cloying stench of blood surrounded me as I reached the center of the fallen herd. 

A mountain of bones lay there, remains of the prey they had devoured. Most were of four-legged animals, but there were also other Snow Buffalo bones among the pile. So these guys are cannibals, I noted mentally. 

I searched through the heap. The creatures had a habit of leaving leftovers other than bones, using the smell to lure in other beasts and animals to be a steady supply of food. Ruijerd had done something similar. It was frightening to think the buffaloes had enough wisdom to do the same thing as the Demon Continent’s fearsome Dead End. 

I expected I would find the bones of those they’d eaten for lunch here. In fact, I spotted several humanoid skulls. I made another mental note of that as I shoved aside the other bones, trying to find what I was looking for: Sara’s corpse, or at least something she’d worn on her person. If I found that, I was sure I’d be satisfied. 

“Ngh!” A groan slipped from me as I fished through the bones. I had found a human head that still had skin on it and seen the face of someone I knew. “Mimir…” 

It was Counter Arrow’s healer. Half of his head had already been eaten. His cheeks were gone, leaving behind just his forehead and part of his hair, which were somehow just enough to identify him. 

“Gh…hah…argh.” My breath was caught in my throat. Mimir was dead. Timothy had already said so. 

That’s right. I forgot because they immediately moved on to talking about Sara. It’s not surprising that I found him here. 

We’d scarcely spoken. The only thing I remembered of him was the awkward look on his face when we were drinking at the bar after returning from the Galgau Ruin, during the whole debate about whether I should have been left behind or not. 

I produced a folded bag from my backpack and tucked his head into it. I wanted to bring back that much of him, at least. 

I blinked away the stinging sensation in my eyes, gritted my teeth, and continued the search. If Mimir was in such a state, then perhaps Sara was also… 

“Hm?” 

There was a ring, fallen deep in the pile. Not just one ring, either, but an assortment of ornaments people had worn. I’d never heard anything about Snow Buffaloes hoarding shiny objects; these had probably accumulated as the beasts feasted. 

“Ah…” 

It was among these other objects that I found it, a familiar decoration in the shape of a feather. 

It was Sara’s earring. 

“Haa…” A sigh slipped out. I felt the tension leave my body. She really was dead. After getting separated from Timothy and the others, she must have been pursued by the Snow Buffaloes until she ran out of stamina. And then they ate her. Caught in a blizzard, filled with despair, trying desperately to stay alive, lacking the power to do so… 

Dreary thoughts churned in my head. 

True, Sara and I weren’t that close. She would mock or deride me whenever we met. Yet, unlike Soldat, she hadn’t been that harsh of late. I really didn’t hold any ill feelings for her. Her words had never truly hurt me, maybe because she never really meant what she said. I was sure, given the chance, we could’ve gotten along. 

Chewing on my lip, I fought back tears and stood. It wasn’t the result I’d hoped for, but my task was complete. I got what I came for. Now I just had to clean up and go home. 

“…Whoof.” I inhaled, filling my body with strength once more, then began gathering the bodies of the Snow Buffaloes. It’d be difficult to haul them around with mere physical strength, so I used earth magic to pile them by the mountain of bones. 

You would expect other beasts to flock here, lured by the scent of blood, but maybe they knew a herd of buffalo was here. Or maybe I just got lucky. In any case, none came my way. 

I set fire to the heap of corpses, and the smell of burning flesh filled the area. It was a foul odor. I randomly tossed in several wooden logs. They crackled and snapped, emitting gouts of smoke that drifted into the night sky. 

This would be my incense for the dead. Their funeral pyre. 

For a while I watched the smoke. There should’ve been thoughts racing through my head, yet for some reason, my heart felt empty. I just stood there, vacantly gazing at the flames and the fumes they produced. 

“Guess I should go home,” I muttered a little later, after ensuring the fire was contained. 

If I left now, it would be dawn by the time I made it back to the city. Once the guild opened, I would show Mimir’s remains and Sara’s earring to the members of Counter Arrow. Then I would sleep. Sleep was best at a time like this. 

With those thoughts in mind, I turned on my heel and— 

“…Hm?” 

I heard something: the faint creak of water instantly freezing over. 

A monster, I assumed. Was there a monster in these parts that did that? Regardless, the noise sounded distant, even if muffled by the crackling of the fire. I suspected it was something seduced by the scent of the Snow Buffaloes’ blood. Probably best to leave this area immediately. My mission was already complete. There was no need to linger. 

I had a bad feeling about this. 

Dread seized me, as if there was something out there I couldn’t see. Something watching me, like a tiger prowling in the shadows. 

I surveyed the area, but there were no beasts in sight. The sound was gone as well. All I heard was the creaking of branches and the rustling of trees in the wind—all sounds of nature. 

Just to be sure, I glanced up. 

“Whoa!” 

I instantly leaped to the side. A split second later, an enormous block came smashing down beside me, its mass sending the surrounding snow upwards in a surge. My vision was shrouded in a curtain of frozen powder, but my Eye of Foresight saw clearly what the object was: ice. A frozen block of it had just struck the ground where I had been. What would have happened if I had been beneath it? I shuddered and glanced behind me. 

There it was, a shadow as big as a mountain. It had a thick trunk, doubtless hundreds of years old, with an overgrowth of foliage blotting out the sky above. Its roots, wide as my torso, creaked as they pursued me. 

“An Icefall Treant?” 

Having traversed the Demon Continent and Great Forest, I was used to the sight of treants. However, this was the first time I had seen one so enormous. Just how old was it? Treants grew in strength as they aged. This one was abnormally ancient, so I wondered how strong it must be. 

I gulped and retreated just as its gigantic branches came swinging. The treant’s gargantuan size made it impossible to avoid. I was sent flying like a bug swatted by a broom and tumbled through the snow, my entire body coated in white powder. 

The treant stopped for a moment. When I looked, I saw something forming atop its branches. A flower? Fruit? No—magic! It was conjuring another block of ice. 

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen a monster use magic, but it was the first time I’d seen an enormous tree produce a gigantic slab of frozen water. 

“Gah!” I immediately poured mana into my staff and conjured a shockwave that slammed into my body. Like a shard of splintered wood, I went flying again, successfully escaping the block of ice that came slamming down just a hair’s breadth away, right where my body had been. A nearby tree let forth a resounding crack as its trunk fractured. 

As I toppled through the snow, I channeled mana into my staff once again. I was going to use Stone Cannon. I put everything I had into the spell and launched it at the treant. The creature was huge; there was no way I could miss. 

It was too huge, in fact. 

My Stone Cannon plunged through the air and made impact. A familiar blast echoed around me, but the Icefall Treant was still moving. The cannon I had poured my all into should have made a direct hit. Had the creature really sustained no damage? 

Dumbfounded, I looked at the treant, which was illuminated by my dwindling bonfire. Its trunk was frozen over, wrapped in a shell of ice armor. Smart for a damn tree. The shield had effectively weakened the impact of my Stone Cannon, which now lay embedded in the tree’s base. 

So Stone Cannon had little effect, huh? What should I use instead, then? Fire? Or maybe wind? Water? What could I use to damage the creature? No, wait…If I couldn’t assess my opponent’s strength, then it was wisest to retreat. 

It was at that moment, right as I was about to flee, that I caught sight of it. Entwined in the creature’s roots was a human figure. I froze the moment I saw it. I recognized who it was. 

“Sara…?!” 

For some reason, Sara’s body was visible at the base of the tree. Was she dead or still breathing? Treants usually killed their prey before draining them for nutrients, but some would just bind their target instead, gradually sapping their life. She seemed to be in a bad state, her body swollen and covered in bruises, but not wounded enough for me to be sure she was dead. 

Was she still alive or not? “Hm…” 

Something felt off. I narrowed my eyes and had a closer look. A number of corpses were tangled in the vast roots of the tree at about the same latitude as Sara. Some were decaying carcasses, including a completely desiccated Luster Grizzly. One thing in particular stood out—a Snow Buffalo. It thrashed about, caught in the tree’s roots. Although trapped, it was desperate to get away, struggling to break free as foam bubbled from its mouth. 

Of course, there was no way it could escape from the sturdy roots. But its presence proved that this particular Icefall Treant took its prey alive. Perhaps Sara wasn’t dead, then; just unconscious. 

How was I going to save her? The Icefall Treant was a tree the size of a skyscraper, with half its trunk protected by a barrier of ice. Frankly, I didn’t feel like I could defeat it. Even if I could use magic with a wide area of effect, Sara would surely get caught in the blast. She wasn’t trapped by ice, but could I really cut her free, get her out, and escape? 

While I was preoccupied, the treant continued its pursuit, its branches swinging at me. “Cutting Flame!” My magic severed a block of wood from the branch as I retreated backward. 

Next, it would send another oversized ice cube at me, and I would have to evade that as well. Just as predicted, a clump of frozen water came plummeting toward me. It was easy to dodge, of course, since I already knew it was coming. 

Up next, another attack from its branches. Right, then left. 

“Hm?” 

As I evaded the attack, I got a sense that something was amiss. I stared suspiciously at the treant. In the dark, I heard the familiar crackle of water freezing as the tree completed its next ice block. 

Could it be… Did this creature only have one set attack pattern—launch an ice block, then use its branches to mow down its opponent? Was this just a repeat of that routine, over and over? 

My suspicions were confirmed after dodging the next several branch and ice block attacks. Maybe it was hiding something up its sleeve… No, this was a simple treant. Enormous though it might be, it was really only a D-ranked monster. It was hard to believe it knew any other attack patterns. 

“My Cutting Flame spell worked.” I kept that in mind and cautiously surveyed the tree, noting that the ice armor only covered the thickest parts of its trunk. If not for the darkness, I would’ve noticed that instantly, but its ability to defend against my Stone Cannon had thrown me off. 

“Can I do this…?” My opponent’s massive size had me a bit intimidated. Still, I knew what kind of creature it was and that it only had two attack patterns. While it was large, it was only a treant. 

“I’ve got this!” I muttered to myself before stepping forward. 

I evaded the ice block and used Cutting Flame to slice through the branches that came swooping toward me. I could have used a more effective type of magic, but I wasn’t sure that the treant didn’t have something else up its sleeve. 

The treant’s weaknesses became clear as I continued. Due to its massive size, only a few roots were long enough to reach the ground. Once I realized this and used my magic to slice through them, the battle was won. Although it never attempted to escape, the treant stopped attacking me and instead froze in place, feigning death. I used that opportunity to get close while keeping my guard up, aware that it might attempt to crush me. But I got to it and cut Sara free, dragging her back to safety. 

“Sara…! Sara!” 

“Mm…” Her eyelids fluttered when I called her name. “Huh? Who’s there?” she asked faintly. 

“It’s Rudeus.” 

“Rudeus…?” 

“I came to save you,” I explained as I hoisted her onto my back, beating a hasty retreat. While I’d literally cut off the treant’s ability to attack along with its branches, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t come after me with its ice or some other attack. 

It gave no sign of pursuit, however, not even as I waded through the snow. I kept running, quick as I could, until the treant was out of sight. 

*** 

It had been a few hours since we escaped the tree. 

Once we were clear, I used healing magic to tend to Sara’s wounds, which were severe. She’d sustained blows all over, with frostbite crawling up her skin from her extremities. Her bones were broken in several places, and especially badly in her right thigh. The femur was snapped clean in two and the surrounding area fiercely swollen. Most likely a complex fracture or something of the like. 

Healing required direct skin contact, so I had to remove her shirt and pants and to press my hand to the appropriate places. I figured she would say something to me again, but she was silent. Perhaps, as an adventurer, this was as normal to her as breathing. Mimir was also a healer, so he must have had to do this to perform his magic, too. 

That said, she’d crawled through the snow, so her underwear was distractingly translucent. I tried my best not to look, despite it being in my face. 

“I was hit by a Snow Buffalo’s charge and fell from a cliff,” she said suddenly. 

“Huh?” I blurted, confused at first. 

“That’s why my leg is broken.” 

“Oh.” 

I was sure she’d noticed me looking at her underwear, but she ignored that in favor of explaining how she was separated from everyone else. Perhaps the reason she didn’t try to cover up was to reward me for having saved her. A sight for sore eyes. 

“I found your earring among the bones the herd had gathered. I thought you were dead,” I confessed. 

“Eh? Oh, that? That earring is a magic item. If you stab the end of the feather into your opponent, they’ll be caught in an illusion for a short time,” explained Sara, touching a hand to her ear. “I might have made it if not for landing in that Icefall Treant’s territory.” 

Apparently, after escaping the Snow Buffalo, Sara had built herself a snow cave in an attempt to endure the frigid temperatures, using her arrows as an emergency splint on her leg. As she waited all alone for help, the Icefall Treant happened upon her and crushed her cave with a block of ice, taking her hostage. 

If I had been in her position, I doubted I could have come up with the idea of building a snow cave. I would probably have frozen to death instead. 

“Hey, are you about done?” she asked, covering herself with her hands while I was busy mulling that over. 

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” 

“Why the hell are you thanking me…?” she mumbled to herself, her face red as she turned away and slipped her pants back on. Her leg had been broken, the skin pale and swollen, but now it looked healthy and supple. A leg worthy of gratitude. It was only natural that I should say thanks, no matter what the circumstances were. 

For some reason I felt like something was off. Like there was something missing. What was it? I was sure it couldn’t be anything too big, but even so… “There’s nothing wrong with your leg, is there?” 

“Yep, it’s fine. It doesn’t even hurt anymore, see?” She bent and stretched before me. 

If my healing magic hadn’t failed, then what was it? “I just have a sense that something is amiss,” I told her. “Does anything about our situation feel off at all to you? Maybe it’s about where I found your earring…?” 

“No, since I dropped it, I wouldn’t be surprised wherever you found it. Oh! But it is weird that you’re here by yourself.” 

“Oh, no, it’s just… I heard Timothy and the others say that you were missing, so…” 

“So they went home after all,” she said in realization. 

“No, I didn’t mean—” 

“It’s fine,” Sara interjected. “I don’t blame them. An obvious decision, given the circumstances… So, is everyone safe?” 

“No. Mimir is dead. I have part of him right here,” I announced, lifting my bag. She took it from me and peeked inside. her face screwed up when she saw its contents. Then, her expression gave way to sadness. “I see… Does everyone already know?” 

“They seemed very sure of his death. I thought if I brought his remains back then you could bury him somewhere close.” 

“Yeah, that would probably make Mimir happy. Um, at least let me carry this bag.” 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” 

Sara drew her lips tight and hoisted the bag onto her back. In the end, I still couldn’t identify the strange feeling I had. There was nothing to do except let it go. Even if I did figure it out, there was likely nothing I could do about it right now. “Okay, then let’s go back.” 

“Yeah.” Sara nodded. The meek way she did it was cute. Almost like Eri— 

I frantically shook my head to keep from remembering her. 

“Hey,” Sara called out after a few steps. I glanced back to see a look of relief on her face, smiling as if she might cry at any moment. “Thank you for saving me.” 

She was full of gratitude, and for some reason I was captivated by that smile. I wished I could see it forever. 

Something within me clicked together right then. It was almost as if everything I had done up until then had been forgiven. 

I had been saved. 

It was strange that I found myself thinking that, since I was the one who had saved her. 

*** 

It was near dawn by the time we returned to the city of Rosenburg. Halfway there, Sara suggested that we make camp, but I shot that down, anxious to get back. For some reason the thought of just the two of us camping frightened me a bit. 

“Ah!” 

Familiar faces were gathered in front of Rosenburg. Three of them, in fact: Timothy, Suzanne, and Patrice. “Rudeus and…Sara?!” 

“Suzanne!” The moment she spotted them, Sara immediately took off running and flung herself into Suzanne’s bosom. 

“What happened? We were just about to go searching for you.” 

“Rudeus saved me!” 

None of them could hide their surprise as Sara recounted what had happened. Once she was done, they all turned to me, wide-eyed with disbelief. “So, that means last night… After you heard what we said, you immediately took off? By yourself?” 

“Well, I mean…” I started to say. 

“And how were we supposed to feel if you died out there, doing something so ridiculous?” 

My body curled in on itself as Suzanne scolded me. 

Sara stepped in front of me. “Hold on! Suzanne, there’s no need to put it like that!” 

Suzanne studied her, eyes wide with surprise again, before she scratched at her cheek. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Not like I have the right to say anything… It just threw me off. I mean, I am grateful. So first, I guess I should say thanks for rescuing Sara,” she said awkwardly. 

Maybe she was thinking that I could have just joined them on the search instead of doing it all by myself. Still, it was only because I manipulated the weather that I had such a smooth trip. I doubted the snow would have stopped otherwise. 

“No, I should be the one thanking you, as the party leader.” Timothy gripped my hand. He was solemn as he gazed at me, his usual soft smile nowhere to be seen. “If Sara hadn’t come back home alive, I would have deeply regretted my decision. Thank you.” He added, “How should we repay that debt? Feel free to name anything.” 

His hand felt hot. Or maybe my body was just that cold. “That’s not necessary. You’ve all helped me out so many times.” I meant that, too. I really did feel like the members of Counter Arrow had always been there for me. That was also why I reacted on instinct the moment I heard Sara was missing. “Let’s just consider us even,” I said, managing to force a smile on my face. 

Timothy looked me over again, then grinned the way he always did. “All right… Yeah. Then we’ll be here for you if you need it.” 

“Yes. Likewise.” 

Timothy and I exchanged a stiff handshake. And then, as if he’d just thought of something, he said, “Oh yeah, Rudeus…” 

“What is it?” 

“…No, sorry. It’s nothing.” He had a slightly conflicted look on his face as he shook his head. 

I had a pretty good idea of what he was about to offer me, but I had no intention of pressing the issue. If his question was what I suspected, I would probably hesitate before ultimately declining. “Well then, let’s go home,” I said. 

“Yeah, we’ll see you off.” 

The members of Counter Arrow accompanied me all the way to my inn, as if it were only natural. It was still early morning, well before people began to stir. In the dawning light that gleamed off the snow as the sun made its ascent, the five of us walked together, frozen powder crunching beneath our feet. I was completely exhausted, as was Sara. The other three surely had their questions, but they prioritized letting me return to my room. 

“This is far enough. Thank you,” I said, looking back at them. 

“Rudeus, I’ll see you around!” Sara shouted after me as I went inside. 

She’d been up all night, come to think of it. Unlike me, who had spent a leisurely afternoon shoveling snow, she’d been trapped in a raging blizzard in the forest with a broken leg, beset with horrific pain. She had to be fairly worn out, too. Maybe I should have agreed to camping outside. But if we’d done that, we might have missed the others leaving Rosenburg. Things had worked out for the best. 

“Yeah, see you. Make sure to get some rest today.” 

“You too!” 

“Will do.” I waved at her and disappeared inside. 

The inn’s lobby was warm, with a pleasant smell permeating the air. The owner had risen early and was already preparing breakfast. I left the first floor, which acted as a mess hall, clambered up to the third floor, and started a fire going in my room. Since it would take a while to heat up, I briefly opened the window to air the room out a little. From there, I could see the receding figures of Counter Arrow. At almost the same exact moment, one of them turned to look back. 

Sara’s eyes met mine. She moved her lips, as if to say something. Her words were silent, though. I knew that because the others didn’t turn. What did she say? Since I couldn’t read lips, it was impossible for me to tell. I just waved back at her and watched her go. She looked happy as she turned forward and scurried after the others. 

I was hit by a sudden wave of drowsiness by the time I shut the window. Let’s go to sleep, I decided, opting to lounge in bed and sleep until dinner. I felt like today, for the first time in a while, I could sleep soundly. 

With that in mind, I flopped over onto my mattress.