The Frozen Sea
Countless ships lay moored in the harbor of Lupen.
From massive trading vessels to humble fishing boats heading out for the day's catch, the docks held every kind of craft imaginable. Yet among them all, the one that truly caught the eye was the luxurious pleasure yacht, gleaming with its ornate hull and polished fittings.
Of course, that particular ship was not an option. Its destination was not the Karuma Empire.
From the sailors I gathered a wealth of useful information: one vessel bound for the Karuma Empire was scheduled to depart that very day, and if I missed it, I would have to wait a full week for the next.
Naturally, I set out at once to find the captain of the departing ship.
I found him buried deep in some tavern. The moment I drew near, he greeted me as though he already knew who I was.
"Well now, if it isn't the Ogre Slayer herself!"
His exaggerated gestures and booming voice drew every gaze in the place. Most of the patrons watched with open curiosity.
"Ogre Slayer?"
I frowned at the title. I hadn't been the one to finish the ogre—that honor belonged to the knight named Lycan.
Before I could protest, the captain launched into a strange, rhythmic little tune, as if the truth of the matter hardly mattered.
"Ah, Ceris, the tiny, beautiful mage~ Should you ever earn her wrath, even your heart will freeze solid in her icy chill~"
He was clearly inventing the song on the spot, spouting whatever came to mind. Around us, the other sailors began pounding tables and clinking beer mugs in time with the nonsense melody.
I folded my arms and simply watched, curious to see how far he would take it.
My silence only made him laugh all the louder. He pressed on, spinning a tale in which I was a proud mage of the Magic Tower who had somehow formed a rather intimate bond with some nameless knight. Still the song showed no sign of ending.
I sighed and finally spoke.
"How long are you planning to keep this up?"
"Ahh? Not to your taste? My apologies, then."
He chuckled lightly and settled calmly into his seat—a complete contrast to the lively performer of moments before. The rest of the tavern was still belting out the absurd lyrics, making his sudden composure feel almost out of place.
"So. You came looking for a ship, did you?"
"How did you know?"
"When a stranger seeks out a captain who owns a vessel, there's only ever one reason."
"Mm. You're right. I want passage."
His face lit up. He surged to his feet so forcefully that the chair toppled backward behind him. Snatching the folded tricorne from the table, he jammed it onto his head and grinned at me.
"A person of quality coming aboard—looks like we'll have a smooth voyage. Ready for a long journey, are you?"
"Is there anything special I need to bring?"
"Of course there is! You weren't planning to cross that wild sea empty-handed, were you?"
He listed everything I would need for a month-long voyage: personal provisions, fresh water, spare clothes. He was especially insistent that I stock up on fresh fruit or any preserved food packed with nutrients. Ignore his advice, he warned, and I risked a terrifying disease that could kill me.
In short: if I didn't want scurvy, I had better bring plenty of vitamins.
Given that he had been drinking heavily on the very day of departure, I felt a flicker of unease—yet the man clearly possessed solid knowledge of seafaring. I followed his instructions and gathered the necessary supplies.
Then a problem arose. Between the heavy ogre hide and a full month's worth of my own gear, I simply could not haul everything alone. Reinforcing my body with mana would let me make a few trips between the inn and the ship, but the mana cost would be ruinously inefficient.
Wealth, it seemed, had a way of making one spend more freely.
I stepped out into the street, pressed coins into the hands of several sturdy-looking men, and asked them to carry my luggage to the ship. They agreed readily enough, and thankfully none of them tried to vanish with the goods.
Together with the porters I arrived before the great trading vessel and sought out the captain to settle the fare. He only laughed heartily and refused payment altogether.
"Money? Forget it. No sane captain would charge a mage for passage. Just lend us that magic of yours if things go sideways—that'll be payment enough."
"What sort of help are we talking about?"
"Pirates, for one. Or when the sea god flies into a rage and hurls a storm at us!"
Storms I wasn't so sure about, but pirates I could handle. I nodded.
With my berth secured, the captain grew positively delighted and offered his hand. The thick, rough palm reeked of cheap liquor, so I quietly tucked both hands behind my back.
"Ah, so the rumors were true after all."
He didn't take offense. He merely nodded, as if I were exactly like every other mage he had ever heard of.
My belongings were carried to a small cabin set well apart from the crew's quarters. When I asked, the captain explained it was reserved for special guests. Inside stood a bed, a chair, and a narrow table barely large enough for a single bag. Once my luggage filled the space, the room felt positively cramped.
The captain toured the ship with me, introducing me to the busy sailors as a mage. A few of them looked doubtful.
"Is she really a mage?"
"Of course she is, you idiot! The lord's own knight said so—you think he'd lie?"
"But... she isn't even wearing a robe like the other mages..."
The captain answered before I could. His face flushed deep red as he unleashed a stream of curses on his own crewman. Whether the color came from anger or drink I couldn't tell, but he was defending me all the same.
"I am a mage."
Anyone who could use magic was a mage. I raised one hand. Starlight mana spinning near my heart raced outward, flowing down my arm and out through my fingertips to weave a gentle breeze. Faint motes of starlight rode the soft wind, shimmering like a miniature galaxy drifting across the night sky.
The sailors' and captain's reactions told me exactly how it looked.
"This is..."
A simple demonstration was enough to settle every doubt. I scattered the fading breeze and smiled faintly.
"See? A mage."
"Ah... yes..."
The sailor could only nod, looking utterly spellbound.
Time passed. When the sun hung high overhead, the ship unfurled its sails and raised its anchor. The great vessel cut through the water, leaving small waves in its wake as it surged boldly forward.
I stood at the stern and watched the harbor city shrink into the distance. So much had happened in so short a time. Without meeting Rain, I never would have learned to sense mana, nor would I have helped bring down that ogre.
I didn't put much stock in destiny, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that our paths would cross again. Remembering her faint, bright smile, I smiled myself.
They call the place where sky meets sea the horizon. And now, after racing far from land, the ship was surrounded by horizon on every side. North, south, east, west—nothing but endless blue stretched away in every direction.
A boundless, open freedom.
The cold sea wind sliced across my skin like a blade, yet even that felt pleasant. Through the strands of brown hair whipping in the breeze, faint traces of gold still glimmered—remnants of dye slowly washing away.
I closed my eyes and reached out to the mana around me. It spread wide and calm, as tranquil and comforting as the blue sea itself. The deeper I concentrated, the more the world's sounds faded. My mind sank slowly, as though I were slipping beneath the surface of a sea made of pure mana.
Quietly, steadily, the flowing mana shaped itself into a new circle.
My third Mana Circle was complete.
On the seventh day of the voyage, I was out on deck as usual, enjoying the breeze, when the clear sky suddenly began to darken. The very nature of the mana around us shifted in answer to the change.
"Huh..."
The captain burst onto the deck and stared upward. The once-bright blue sky was now smothered by black storm clouds that looked ready to unleash a downpour at any moment.
"Looks like rain's coming..."
He declared the wind's movement ominous and ordered the sails reefed. The crew scrambled to prepare for the approaching storm—yet the storm never arrived.
The change began in the sea itself.
Crack— craaack—!
The instant a vast surge of mana stirred in the depths, the seawater began to freeze. Ice raced outward in every direction. The waves that had been rolling higher than usual, as if sensing some ill omen, locked solid in place, and the ship ground to a halt.
I turned to the captain. I wasn't the only one—every sailor aboard was staring at him as well. Surely a man who had spent a lifetime on the sea would know how to break through this crisis.
But contrary to our hopes, the captain could find no words.
I asked him,
"Is this the wrath of the sea god?"
"...It might be."
"Does the sea freeze over like this often?"
"How could it?"
"Then what should we do?"
He fell silent. His expression was pure bewilderment; even he had never seen the ocean turn to ice before.
He gathered the crew and quickly assessed the situation. They decided to leave the ship and examine the ice beyond. First they tested its strength by hurling heavy objects—even a thick log bounced without leaving a crack. Once safety was confirmed, the sailors began climbing down one by one.
I followed, stepping onto the frozen seaway. Hardness and cold met my soles. This was no illusion or trick—real ice. Beneath the surface I could even see fish frozen mid-swim, locked forever in the postures they had held when the cold claimed them.