Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Back to the Snow Mountains Again - 5
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To fulfill the oracle and put an end to this endless winter, my companions and I set out once more for the snow mountains.
More precisely, for this place known as the northern end.
"If we go any further, we won't be able to come back."
No one among my companions answered my question.
"A fierce battle is coming up soon. Well, we've had fierce battles on the way here too, but this one's going to be even tougher."
I said this as I looked at my women—Sylvia, Clara, and Vivian.
I hoped they would turn back if possible, but they answered without hesitation.
"I may not be much help, but I want to support you to the end, Sian."
"I'm your partner. I'm definitely coming with you."
"For the glory of a warrior."
Each gave their own answer, but they all boiled down to the same thing.
In the end, unable to break their stubborn resolve, I steeled myself even further. Even if I died, I would protect them.
"Since no one's around, I'll send the Sole Tribe back."
"Please do."
The Sole Tribe, which had served as our return transport, departed just like that.
"Then, we'll grant you a miracle."
Before reaching the northern end, Helen and Irina bestowed miracles upon us once more.
"O warmest goddess, please watch over these souls."
"Grant our children the strength to resist."
Helen invoked the miracle of warmth in Hestia's name, while Irina granted cold resistance through Ornack's 'Burning Ice'.
To borrow Helen's words, it was multiple miracles stacked together.
Thanks to this, everyone could move properly even in the snow mountains to some degree.
'Am I the only one who can exert full power?'
The cold resistance miracle from Irina meant nothing to me.
That was because Ornack's blessing—a higher concept than a mere miracle, his cold resistance—coursed through my body.
And that meant I was the centerpiece of this expedition.
"Are you tense?"
"Of course."
I answered Camilla's sudden question honestly.
"If I mess up, someone here dies."
My family—Sylvia, Clara, Vivian.
Helen and Camilla, with whom I'd just started to bond.
The four holy knights, with whom some camaraderie had begun to build despite minimal conversation.
And finally, Irina—Sylvia's aunt and our ally.
I hoped none of them would die, if possible.
"I want to end this without any sacrifices."
"That's impossible. We're not dealing with something you can take lightly—it's a god's legacy."
"I know. But giving up because it's impossible would be even more idiotic."
We couldn't just stick to what we knew we could do, and running wouldn't change a thing.
"Whether we can or can't isn't the point. We have to do it. I'm the head of the family, after all."
I felt a bit embarrassed calling myself the head of the family, but "head of the family" suited me better than "leader."
"So, I'll declare it here. I'll protect everyone and complete the oracle safely."
That was my resolve—a proclamation that I would absolutely see it through.
...
"That's it, Hero."
Camilla hoped Sian would gain some confidence.
She hadn't explained it to him on purpose, but a knight's aura, a mage's magic, and a priest's holy power all shared one common domain.
It was that the technique's power varied wildly depending on one's unshakeable conviction.
For a knight, it was their will.
For a mage, their knowledge and skill.
For a priest, their faith.
That conviction, honed as one, could occasionally produce miracles that shattered fate itself.
It was why the weakest knight on the battlefield could return alive from war, why a mage branded the world's biggest dunce could achieve the impossible, and why a lowly priest could become the greatest apostle.
"Sian?! You're too fast!"
But she hadn't hoped for him to get this overzealous.
"Hero, slow down a bit... He can't hear me."
Sian charged ahead.
To protect everyone, just as he'd said.
And as if he truly meant to put it into practice, he now rushed straight at the snow mountain troll pack.
"Reckless fool!"
Camilla had no choice but to envelop herself in aura and chase after Sian as he barreled forward blindly, but it was already too late.
Boom!
Every time he hurled his black spear, it swept through the troll pack, and whenever he swung his white sword, troll heads flew.
In just 10 seconds.
The nearly thirty trolls were reduced to half or fewer.
"How can you use Vitality Enhancement right from the start?"
Vitality Enhancement.
A technique that amplified divine miracles with Sian's immense holy power to boost physical abilities.
If she'd demanded that of other priests, they'd have called her insane beyond belief.
It was that dangerous a technique. Priests couldn't even use divine miracles this way to begin with.
But Sian had pulled it off without issue.
Thanks to his exceptional physical prowess and abnormal holy power.
The downside was its poor efficiency—it couldn't be spammed. He'd planned to save it for key moments, yet here he was, firing it off from the very beginning.
"It's fine. After a quick nap, I woke up overflowing with energy for some reason."
"......"
This was a far more relaxed demeanor than his initial showing.
Growing this much in just a few hours?
As Camilla puzzled over it, Helen approached and explained.
"Sian didn't take kindly to miracles at first. But as he gradually accepted them and recognized holy power as part of his own strength, he changed. Holy power is especially sensitive to one's mindset."
"I knew that, but I didn't expect it to be this dramatic."
"A normal person couldn't grow this fast in one go, but Sian is different."
Camilla wanted to ask why he was different, but Helen had been tight-lipped about Sian lately, so she held back.
Having spent a long time together, they could read each other's minds to some extent.
"For now, don't say anything. Just follow Sian."
"Understood."
At Helen's instruction, Camilla immediately led the group.
It was a simple task—just keeping up with Sian—but for now, that was enough.
...
After clearing three packs of snow mountain trolls, we reached the place called the northern end of the world.
"A castle?"
Strangely enough, even in this bone-chilling cold that froze the soul, there stood an ancient castle.
"It looks like architecture from the mythic era."
"Then isn't that amazing? It must have historical value."
"Indeed. Though I'm not sure it'll survive this battle."
"Yeah, probably not."
As expected, snow mountain trolls were garrisoned inside the castle.
And in record numbers.
"The past matters, but for us, the present and future are more important. Don't worry about it—fight!"
"If you say it like that, I won't hold back in smashing it!"
This time too, I hurled my black spear without delay.
It flew toward the snow mountain trolls with a whistle-cutting wind, but then dropped limply to the ground as if blocked by something.
"What the—?"
"As expected, the outer god's miracle is at work."
Helen showed a pale expression for the first time. The situation seemed worse than she'd anticipated.
"Sian, something's off."
"What is it?"
Clara, who had taken up a low position, approached me, sensing something strange, and explained what she'd seen.
"The trolls over there aren't moving."
"You mean they're not moving at all?"
"Yeah, like time has stopped..."
"It seems to be the unique authority of 'The One Who Walks the Lowest Depths.'"
Irina, who had overheard our conversation, stepped forward and shared what she knew.
"Irina, do you know something?"
"Indeed. According to village lore, the reason Ornack risked his life to fight 'The One Who Walks the Lowest Depths' was because that outer god was the only one among them with the power to stop time."
"???"
What the hell? Stop time?
No, wait—this couldn't be real!
"You're joking, right?"
"I doubt it is a jest. Our Holy Kingdom's historical records state that 'The One Who Walks the Lowest Depths' once halted the world's time for 23 hours and 20 minutes with its unique authority."
In any superpower battle story, time manipulators are called cheats—overpowered or balance-breakers. Nothing holds meaning before the absolute concept of time.
Fighting someone with that power? My resolve from moments ago felt laughable; I wanted to run right then.
"Helen, I think the oracle might be wrong."
"I-It'll be fine. We're not fighting the outer god itself, but its legacy. The scope of what it can use will be different."
Helen was visibly flustered too, but she made the coolest judgment of the situation.
"And Sian has Ornack's direct blessing. I believe the one who once repelled 'The One Who Walks the Lowest Depths' will grant you the necessary power."
"True..."
That gave us a decent shot.
If they cheated, we'd cheat right back.
"And we have a divine relic as well."
Irina drew 'Burning Ice' for the first time and demonstrated its power.
As blue flames flickered to life, our surroundings bathed in blue light.
"As long as you remain within this flame's light, you will be free from 'The One Who Walks the Lowest Depths'' authority."
"Whoa, thanks, Irina!"
I'd been worrying about having to fight solo, and here she was pulling through big time.
That said, the blue light's range wasn't all that wide, and it couldn't be maintained indefinitely.
"I can only hold it for an hour on my own."
"Then we'll end this quick."
"Don't worry, Sian. I can do something like Aunt too, to some extent."
"All the more reason to wrap it up fast."
"Then, Hero, shall we enter the castle?"
"Obviously."
And so, we stepped inside the castle.