A Warm Coat
On the smoothly sliding sled, Rumiel was sleeping quietly.
The regular swaying and the appropriately cozy temperature added to the drowsiness.
But more than anything, it was Popo’s endless talking that was the biggest cause.
“Amazing, right? So, I made the steamed buns!”
Popo was talking without stopping for a moment.
No matter how much talking, after a while one would want to take a breath, but this little penguin showed no sign of it.
Rumiel’s ahoge, with eyes closed, swayed lazily.
The scenery flowed without speed.
And Popo’s explanation continued endlessly.
It was the perfect lullaby.
“Ah, and speaking of which! There’s a very important place in our village! That’s right there⋯⋯!”
At that moment.
“Right there! That place is the entrance to the ice cave where the hero is sealed!”
Rumiel’s ahoge stood up straight.
Rumiel’s eyes slowly opened.
The sleepy breathing stopped, and the small hand moved quietly.
“Put me down.”
“Eh?”
Popo blinked and looked at Rumiel.
“W-w-what? ⋯⋯ Is there something to do here?”
Popo looked puzzled.
And soon, as if something occurred, added.
“Ah, are you trying to see the ice that the hero is sealed in?”
Popo tilted his beak and said.
“I should mention one thing: that ice is said to be extremely hard and difficult to break. Even if you try, it’s just for sightseeing.”
“⋯⋯.”
“I went there out of curiosity once, and all my feathers burned off!”
Popo trembled.
“Just touching the ice with my wings once!”
But Rumiel had already been quietly stepping off the sled for a while.
Walking softly on the cold snow, heading towards the cave.
“Ah, and the ice where the hero is trapped, according to legend, it’s a powerful curse that manifested when the Great Demon King was sealed⋯⋯.”
Only then did Popo realize Rumiel had disappeared.
“Huh?”
Popo turned his head in a hurry.
Rumiel was already far away.
“Eh, be careful!”
Popo shouted urgently.
“E, eh⋯⋯ I’ll wait here. If anything happens, come back!”
Popo waved his wings towards the small silhouette quickly receding in front of him and added softly.
“Don’t burn that pretty hair!”
¤
Rumiel quietly stepped into the ice cave.
The steps were full of anticipation, so much so that they were lighter than usual.
Even in the game, the ice cave was called a “paradise of gambling” for its beauty.
Because the atmosphere was so good, users would open golden boxes or use enhancement scrolls there.
To be able to see that place in reality.
It was too exciting. The feet moved polka-dotted.
And finally reaching the inside of the ice cave⋯⋯,
“Wow⋯⋯.”
Rumiel had no choice but to admire the surroundings with a sigh.
The inside of the cave was a mysterious sparkle with blue and white lights blending everywhere.
The ice covering the floor was clear and transparent, creating the illusion of walking on the sky.
On the walls, beautiful and huge ice crystals protruded, and the small ice pieces falling from the ceiling shone like precious gems.
“⋯⋯huh.”
At the moment when Rumiel’s ahoge twitched slightly while admiring all this scenery, a small crying sound came from somewhere.
Rumiel stopped walking, turned head towards the sound.
Deep in the cave, next to a large ice crystal emitting some ominous light.
There, a little guy was crouching.
White hair like snow, sparkling blue eyes.
The kid was hugging his body with small hands and trembling.
The sight was too familiar.
Of course, seen in the game.
The identity of that little guy was none other than Arte, the spirit dwelling in the hero’s main weapon, the greatsword.
But something was off.
In the game, Arte never showed such a fragile appearance.
Rumiel recalled the memories.
After the hero wakes up, the early tutorial begins.
The hero who has lost memories and levels, becoming Lv.1.
Arte sighing while looking at that sight.
And,
“Babo master, you haven’t forgotten how to handle me, have you?”
Saying this, teaching basic combat controls, that was the hero’s tutorial scenario.
However, currently, the hero hasn’t woken up from the ice, and Arte is trembling alone here.
In the game, Arte was always proud.
Of course, until the hero wakes up, she was quietly sleeping in the ice.
But the little guy in front of the eyes was too pathetic.
Hugging the small, slender body, trembling.
Rumiel tilted her head curiously and approached Arte.
Arte flinched and trembled.
It seemed to have sensed Rumiel’s presence.
Rumiel got closer.
And quietly looked down at the little guy in front.
Small and slender hands.
Slightly pale skin.
Sparkling blue eyes.
Indeed, it was Arte.
“⋯⋯You.”
Small voice.
Arte slightly raised her head and looked up at Rumiel.
Then, her lips slightly quivered.
“W-w-warm clothes or something?”
Instantly, Rumiel’s ahoge stood up straight.
Her mind went blank.
Warm clothes.
Warm clothes?
This is.
A quest.
Definitely a quest.
The spirit of the greatsword is giving a quest.
A quest not in the game.
Rumiel’s ahoge started shaking violently.
An unregistered quest never seen once in the game.
NPCs that can receive quests in the game are predetermined.
Only pre-registered quests by the system are activated.
But the one in front of the eyes now was a completely unseen quest.
Unregistered.
Hidden event.
Hidden reward?
A new content appeared in a world with nothing to do.
All sorts of words flashed in Rumiel’s mind.
Rumiel suppressed the excitement and quickly opened the inventory.
“⋯⋯Warm thing.”
Winter coat?
No, it’s too big.
And this is for men.
Fur gloves?
No, it said the body is cold, not hands.
Rumiel rummaged through the inventory with one hand, wiggling the ahoge.
Rumiel’s eyes sparkled.
An event not seen in the game.
A quest not seen in the game.
Rumiel carefully moved her hand as if choosing an option.
⋯⋯Wait a second.
Then, as if something occurred, Rumiel’s gaze, which had scanned the inventory, stopped at “Cash Tab”.
“⋯⋯Wait a moment.”
Cash Tab.
There, the most powerful convenience function in the game existed.
[Supreme Instant Movement Stone]
An ultra-high-grade movement item that allows instant teleportation to any desired place upon use.
A cash item exclusive to the “Black Cow” that costs 3000 won in real money per one.
Rumiel’s fingertip lightly pressed the stone.
“Teleport, Beast Commander Leohart’s highest floor.”
Instantly, the vision distorted and the surroundings brightened.
The snow-covered ice cave seemed to shake, then Rumiel’s figure blurred and disappeared.
After the teleportation ended, in front of Rumiel stood a magnificent stone door.
A large lion’s head decorated the center of the door, and a rough beastly aura spread heavily.
Black marble floor.
Inside the grand castle with cold air.
Inside that door was the Beast Commander.
And the large fur coat draped over the Beast Commander’s shoulders.
A top-grade coat made of beast leather and soft fur.
It was a rare drop item and⋯⋯,
A “warm clothes” of exactly the right size for Arte’s body.
Rumiel quietly sparkled her eyes.
With just that coat, she had confidence that she could perfectly clear Arte’s quest.
Rumiel flew to the door in an instant, clenched her fist lightly, and stretched it forward.
BANG!!!
Instantly, with a heavy boom, the castle door was smashed.
The thick stone door broke without restraint, and stone fragments flew everywhere.
The air inside the castle was momentarily frozen in silence.
「Lv.180 Beast Commander - Leohart」
Golden eyes shone sharply.
He held a large sword in one hand and was slicing a steak with the other.
It seemed like dinner time.
“What⋯⋯?”
Leohart flinched, put down the steak knife.
A slight astonishment appeared on his dignified face.
“⋯⋯Even so, isn’t breaking the door and coming in going too far? How much do you know about the repair costs?”
Rumiel lightly ignored his words and looked at the fur coat draped over his shoulders.
“Give that to me.”
Rumiel’s bold attitude made Leohart’s eyebrows twitch.
“⋯⋯Oh?”
Rumiel quietly wiggled her ahoge.
Then Leohart stood up heavily from his seat.
The beastly aura spread.
He flashed his golden eyes and opened his mouth arrogantly.
“Was it a challenge? Good. If you want this coat, this body, Leohart, must be defeated.”
The familiar boss battle introduction line that Rumiel had heard hundreds of times while playing the game began.
“The king of beasts, this body, will personally fight with you⋯⋯.”
“Divine Genesis.”
Divine Genesis
Instantly, the hall was filled with light.