Ice Island
Rumiel sat in the small rowboat, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull.
Occasionally, a faint swell would brush the side of the boat, sending a light splash of water flying. The sound of the oars cutting through the water mixed with the occasional drip from Pupu’s small wings.
At the prow, the tiny penguin NPC, Pupu, rowed with all his might.
Pupu’s body was only about Rumiel’s waist height, with a round belly and short wings.
A small hat sat atop his head, and the blue scarf he wore fluttered gently in the wind.
“Huu, the water is really choppy today,”
Pupu grumbled, flapping his tiny wings.
“We still have a long way to go before we reach Ice Island. If you’re sleepy, you can close your eyes for a bit.”
Rumiel silently shook his head.
Pupu blinked a few times, then looked up at Rumiel’s sparkling eyes.
Rumiel gazed at the surrounding scenery, his eyes shining.
Water mist began to gather slowly.
The waves gradually turned to ice, and small ice fragments floating on the surface sparkled.
The distant island was completely covered in white.
“Have you heard the rumor that a hero is sealed on Ice Island?”
Pupu asked while rowing.
Rumiel nodded.
Pupu, encouraged by the reaction, continued with sparkling eyes.
“You know! The people here believe the legend and have gathered here. One day, the hero will wake up and save the frozen island⋯⋯!”
Rumiel’s eyes flickered slightly.
“But Ice Island is too cold, and there’s been no news about the hero.”
Pupu took a breath and rowed harder.
“That’s why everyone has left one by one. Now, only one person remains.”
Rumiel nodded silently.
Pupu kept talking.
Rumiel quietly watched Pupu and thought,
I want to touch that belly.
But while Rumiel was thinking of something rude, Pupu’s small mouth kept flowing with words without pause.
“Of course, we penguins are many, but if we count only humans, there’s only one. Because there are no people, it’s a bit lonely these days. No customers means no business.”
Pupu turned his head slightly and looked at Rumiel.
“Are you… going to find the hero?”
Rumiel blinked, then nodded.
Pupu’s eyes turned into big, round marbles.
“Really?!”
Rumiel didn’t answer.
He simply placed his small hands on his knees and listened to the sound of the boat cutting through the waves.
In truth, Rumiel’s reason for going to Ice Island was simple.
There was a hero sleeping on the island.
The first added hero class in the game, a tank character using a greatsword.
With the setting that choosing it would cause memory loss, the character was one who would wake up from the ice at level 1.
Rumiel was curious about how this character would turn out in this world.
If he were a player, it would be interesting.
And if the character became a person in the game world, that would also be interesting.
This world was similar to the game world Rumiel knew, yet different.
In the game, NPCs simply moved according to preset rules, but now they acted like people with emotions and thoughts.
And if that hero was actually living and breathing in this world,
Rumiel wondered how he would accept the memory loss setting.
Rumiel’s eyes swayed gently.
Just in case, he also wanted to see some cute monsters.
On Ice Island, there were small monsters called Muru that lived in the white-furred small monsters.
Muru had small bodies like snowflakes, round eyes, and soft fur.
Each time they moved, they left fluffy footprints, and their round bodies rolling on the white snowfield were incredibly cute.
Rumiel slightly lifted the corners of his mouth without saying a word.
Before long, the rowboat was close to Ice Island.
Pupu rowed with all his remaining strength, and small ice fragments floated up as the boat cut through the waves.
“We’re here!”
Pupu smiled brightly and stopped the boat on the ice.
Rumiel lightly jumped off the boat.
The cool sensation of the ice transmitted through the soles of his feet.
The endless white snowfield of Ice Island spread out.
The dazzlingly white ground sparkled under the sunlight.
“This is the penguin port!”
Pupu wiggled his feet inside the boat and shouted.
Flapping his small wings, he smiled brightly at Rumiel.
Pupu’s blue scarf still fluttered lightly in the wind, and his round body looked like it was bouncing on the ground.
“If anything dangerous happens, come back here! I’ll always be waiting!”
Pupu busily tied up the oars and firmly secured the rope to the boat.
The sight of his small body working diligently was cute.
Rumiel quietly watched Pupu.
While Pupu’s small hands (or wings) moved busily, Rumiel slowly looked around.
The first impression of Ice Island was cold and quiet.
It was too small a dock to call it a port.
It was only large enough for one or two boats to dock.
On the small wooden bridge, snow had piled up, and every step made a crunching sound.
Looking around, small penguins were gathered in a crowd.
They moved their round, small bodies busily, stacking ice fragments or rolling snowballs.
Some penguins looked at Rumiel with curious eyes, and some small penguins tapped their feet on the snow playfully.
“It’s surprising, right? We penguins live here. Originally, there were many people, but now they’ve all left⋯⋯ and only one person remains.”
Pupu’s voice, which explained without being asked, carried a faint sadness somewhere.
Well, he had already heard that story.
“He is still waiting for the hero. He believes that the legendary hero will wake up and save this island.”
Rumiel closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded quietly.
Pupu, seeing this, started talking again with excitement.
⋯⋯And hell began.
Pupu began telling the same story from the beginning again, repeating the same content.
“As I said, there is a legendary hero sealed on Ice Island! Since ancient times, the people here have believed the legend and waited. They say a hero will always appear and save the frozen island!”
Rumiel nodded.
But his eyelids were slightly lowered, and his gaze swayed vaguely somewhere.
Pupu continued without noticing Rumiel’s state at all.
“But Ice Island is really cold, right? It’s so cold that no matter how thick the clothes you wear, you’ll freeze! That’s why people left one by one. At first, there were quite a few people! I guess they got disappointed because the hero didn’t appear.”
Rumiel’s ahoge drooped.
It was the second or third time he had heard the story from the boat.
But Pupu’s mouth didn’t stop.
“In the end, only one person remains. Still, he is waiting for the hero. Perhaps he has true faith! His belief that the hero will appear and save the island is very strong!”
Rumiel slowly nodded.
Even the speed of nodding was slowing down.
“We penguins still protect the island with the remaining person. I’m a bit scared sometimes, but someone has to protect this island. And when the hero appears, I’ll be the first to greet him!”
Pupu’s voice was bright.
But that brightness gradually sounded like a lullaby to Rumiel.
“These days, there are many Muru, so it’s a bit dangerous, but it’s okay! We penguins get along well with the Muru. Of course, if we get too close, the Muru might be startled, so we have to be careful.”
Rumiel’s eyelids were half-lowered.
Pupu’s story continued.
“Muru are white and cute, but actually, they have tremendous power. Especially the way they peck with their small teeth is really cute! Ah, of course, if you keep touching them saying they’re cute, they might bite, so be careful!”
Rumiel’s head tilted slightly.
Now, sleep was truly coming.
“There was once an adventurer who got bitten by a Muru and his clothes were torn to pieces. He saw the Muru and wanted to touch it because it was cute, but the Muru thought it was a threat and stopped⋯⋯ haha, that time was really close to a big disaster!”
Pupu was still talking.
Rumiel stood there and dozed off with a “droong” sound.
Rumiel’s small body swayed slightly, but Pupu didn’t notice at all.
“And when the hero wakes up, I think the Muru will become even happier. Perhaps the hero’s warm heart will melt the island! Then spring will come to Ice Island? Then flowers will bloom! We penguins have never seen flowers. Ah, just imagining it makes me so happy!”
From Rumiel’s mouth came a “mmh, mmh⋯⋯” sound.
But Pupu, hearing that, continued talking happily.
“I row here for that reason too. In case the hero appears, I’ll guide him right away! Since only I believe in the legend of Ice Island, someone has to do it! Ah, I am a penguin! That’s right!”
Finally,
Pupu’s story ended.
“That’s all my story. How was it? Did it help? Hehe.”
Rumiel blinked in a daze.
“Then, go carefully! These days, the Muru are really mischievous. If you get touched wrong, they might bite your belly!”
Pupu waved his small wings and saw him off.
Rumiel nodded quietly and walked toward the white snowfield.
Cold wind blew, and the crunching sound came from under his feet.
While watching Rumiel’s small back walking into the white snowfield, Pupu quietly waved his hand.
“See you next time!”
Rumiel didn’t answer.
Only the small, precious footprints continued quietly on the white snowfield.